A/N: Please forgive the delay in updating. We humbly apologise.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Shelbylou - this chapter is her brainchild and a great one at that, Thank you, Shelbylou!
and now, without further ado:
Gibbs walked into the interrogation room with his coffee and sat down in the free chair that was reserved for the agents interviewing suspects. It was the one that had its back to the two way mirror, the very two way mirror that currently hid Tony and Ziva from Dr. Lisa Lasalle's view. He put his coffee down right next to the file that he had carried in.
"Agent Gibbs, I presume. You cannot keep here like this! I have a return flight to New Orleans that I simply must be on. If you don't let me go, then you will leave me with no choice but to lodge a complaint with your superiors." Dr. Lasalle crossed her arms and jutted out her chin in defiance of being bought back to NCIS for interrogation.
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. Your flight's been cancelled." Gibbs kept his eyes on her at all times knowing that it would make her uncomfortable. He sat there glaring for a couple more minutes before opening the file and pulling out a sheet of paper. "Says here, you're Alex Green's Doctor."
"It does, does it? Well then I guess you really are a seasoned investigator because it wouldn't take much to find that out, would it?"
"Don't bait me, Doc. You'll lose." Gibbs smiled dangerously at her and, despite her cool, clipped tone, he could see the tell tale body language that told him she was even more uncomfortable. He glanced down at her hands and noticed the way that they were clasped in front of her; her thumb twitching against the base of the index finger that it rested against. "Nervous?"
"Should I be?"
"Yeah. You should." Gibbs sat back in his chair and scrutinized the woman sitting in front of him. By all accounts, she looked perfectly normal but there was something about her; something that he just couldn't put his finger on that made him feel as though she was wound on a tight string that would snap at any moment.
"Huh! Damn NCIS and damn this interrogation! You have nothing on me!" She folded her arms and Gibbs watched as she twitched rhythmically.
"That why you're so nervous? The way you're vibrating I'm guessing your foot is twitching, too."
Lisa stilled and tried to glare back at the man sitting in front of her. She glanced away when she realised that it was fruitless.
"What do you want? Agent Balboa interviewed me already and I just want to go home."
"I want you to tell me what happened. I know you were helping Green and I want to know why."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Gibbs pulled another report out of the file and slipped it over the table so that it rested in front of the doctor.
"He held you hostage and you didn't press charges."
"He's disturbed and needed help. I'm his doctor and wanted to help." She read the report and Gibbs noticed the way in which she paled before her shoulders slumped slightly. "You think you've got this all worked out don't you?"
"Yep. Tell you what I think. Stockholm Syndrome. He held you captive and you fell in love with him. What I don't understand is why you would hurt your friend." Gibbs kept his voice neutral as he spoke, hoping that it would have the desired effect. "Abby was your friend, right?"
"She is my friend. I don't kn..."
"Then why hurt her by helping Green with this." He pointed at the thick case file in front of him. "He damn near killed my Agent!"
"I didn...he wouldn't do it. I mean, I didn't know he would hurt any...I didn't know." Gibbs could see that she was finally starting to come undone before him.
"Yeah. You did. You knew what he was doing but your obsession with him took over. Why?"
"Because." She whispered and hung her head low so that he was looking at the top of the table.
"Because? That's it. Just because. Jesus, you have no idea of the damage that you've caused have ya." Gibbs picked up his coffee and sipped at it as he watched Lisa come apart, slowly, piece by piece. He was surprised by how easy it was.
"DAMAGE? I'VE CAUSED DAMAGE?" Lisa stood up and started to pace and Gibbs could almost see the frayed threads snapping, one by one. "She's damaged us! She damaged me and Alex because he could never get over her. He couldn't love me the way I love him...BECAUSE OF HER!" She screamed.
"Who?"
"Who do you think, Agent Gibbs? Scuito! Alex has always been in love with her and always will be! When she rang me and told me about her up and coming first date with Agent McGee, I was happy for her. I was happy that maybe, just maybe this would make Alex move on and love me the way I loved him." Lisa sat back down and covered her face with her hands. "He didn't though. He just...It made him angry."
"And if he was angry, you got the brunt of it." Gibbs said with a knowing nod.
"No. He didn't hurt me. He wouldn't."
"So why help him?"
"Because, I thought he would get it out of his system and then forget about her. I need him. You don't understand."
"Oh, I think I do." Gibbs said sarcastically before leaning forward and placing his elbows on his knees. "What happened? How'd he get out?"
"That was easy. I faked the transfer papers and made out he was being moved to a hospital in DC. As far as they're concerned, he's tucked up safely in a hospital here."
"Makes sense. You'd have access and the power to do that. So, you bought him here?" Gibbs didn't move and sat there staring at her until she answered. After a long pause, she nodded her head.
"Yeah. We had just gotten into the hotel when I spoke to Abby again. I told her he'd escaped."
"Why?"
"To scare her. I wanted her to hurt." Her quiet confession threw the Senior agent slightly; not that he'd ever show her that. "I wanted her to feel the fear I feel everyday about losing him."
"So you helped him when he was in DC?"
"No. That was all him. As long as he came back to me, I didn't care what he did and when I found out...I...When I found out part of me was pleased."
Gibbs nodded at her before cocking his head to the side. "What happened in the hospital? He managed to find my house, drug two agents and my M.E. before holding my Agent at gunpoint. How?"
"I wrote the script for a strong tranquilizer that works immediately. I didn't know what he wanted it for and thought it was for personal usage. I've used it before on him and went to the pharmacy to collect it for him. It needs to be injected and I guess he stole the prefilled syringes."
"You guess?" Gibbs growled at her with narrow eyes.
"I haven't checked. I didn't use them on the agents outside the do..." Her eyes went wide when she realised what she had said.
"So it was you. You got past my agents guarding Green by drugging them."
"Yes. It was easy. All I had to do, was wear my lab coat and no one flinched. I had the aerosol in my pocket and sprayed it in their faces." She hung her head once again and started to sob.
"What did you do after that? When they were unconscious?"
"I helped him take the IV out. Unplugged the wires and left."
"That's it?"
"That's it. Nothing more. He kissed me, and then I left. I don't know what happened beyond that point exactly and can only go off what Agent Balboa told me. I thought I could stop him loving Abby once and for all." She added the last bit as an afterthought and started to sob again.
"Well, you were wrong. He didn't and damn well nearly killed two of my people. Between you, you have drugged 5, and put 2 in Bethesda. Don't expect to be practicing for a while and you sure as hell won't be seeing Green."
At his last comment, Lisa's moist eyes shot up and greeted him.
"What. No! You can't keep us apart. It'll kill me."
"You don't have a damn choice. He's already been transferred to a high security mental hospital and you're gonna be detained and arrested for helping him. You are as guilty as he is but at least he's got mental illness to fall back on. You? There's nothing wrong with you. You screwed over your best friend and helped someone wage war on the person that was making her happy. You're gonna be sentenced and there's no insanity plea to fall back on." Gibbs collected together the papers, picked up the file and his coffee and let her sitting there in stunned silence. Between the two interviews, they had enough evidence on her to make sure she wouldn't cause any more problems for a long time.
Tim woke up slowly feeing floaty and knew he was on the good drugs. He raised his left hand to his face and cringed when he felt the pinch of tape on the back of his hand that served as a reminder of the IV that was still attached and pumping antibiotics and fluids steadily into his system. With a raspy sigh, he switched hands and pulled the nasal canula off his face so that it hung loosely around his neck.
"Timothy! Honestly, young man. You must leave that where it is." He turned his head towards the familiar British lilt that held a whisper of a Scottish accent and smiled.
"Ducky."
"Shh. You are not supposed to be speaking right now. You need to give your lungs a chance to heal and talking won't help." The M.E. reached over and replaced the canula that was supplying Tim with the much needed oxygen that his body craved.
"M'sorry...Alex?"
"He's being transferred to a secure psychiatric facility as we speak. His injuries mean he had the pleasure of an armed medivac to the hospital which, by the way, is much like a prison for the mentally unstable."
"oh...Abby, Ducky...She..alright." Ducky frowned as every word was punctuated by a harsh breath and nodded.
"Abigail is fine, Timothy. She will be released in the morning on the provision that she rest and remain with someone for 24 hours. Something, I might add, that you should be doing." Tim smiled ruefully at Ducky's admonishment and let his eyes run over the sleeping figure laying in the bed next to him.
"How long...do I...have to...be here...for."
"Honestly, you are as stubborn as Jethro." Ducky shook his head. "You, my friend, will be here for a little bit longer yet. The pneumonia is under control and it looks as though the pleurisy is finally settling down. That isn't to say, Timothy, that you are ready for going home. You remember how long it took Anthony to heal."
Tim nodded and closed his eyes.
"Yeah." Tim felt a warm hand lay gently on his shoulder and opened his eyes. "Can I...Water?"
He started to cough and felt himself being lifted into a sitting position. The coughing fit was harsh and he started to gag as his body expelled the fluid that was continuously building in his lungs.
"That's it. Good boy. I know it's not pleasant, but that's what we like to see." Ducky was thumping Tim on the back more gently than what was needed but it seemed to be helping.
"Ducky?" Abby's sleepy voice travelled over to them.
"..bs." Tim just about managed to rasp out before slumping heavily into the M.E.
"Tim? You okay?"
"He's fine, my dear." Ducky eased Tim back and held a cup with a straw to Tim's lips. He was pleased to see Tim taking small sips before nodding back off to sleep. Ducky smiled and straightened out the blankets before turning his attention to Abby.
"Oh my!" He was startled when he came face to face with her and clutched his hand to his heart "Abigail, get back in bed this instant. You nearly gave me a heart attack."
"Sorry. He really okay, Ducky?"
Ducky could see the pure worry that shone brightly in Abby's eyes and he reached out to pull her into a hug. "He's going to be fine, my dear. It's going to be a long recovery, but all in all he is getting better everyday."
"You sure?"
"Yes, Abigail. I am sure. Now, get back in bed and get some rest. I'm going to take the basin to the nurse's station and am going to talk to Timothy's doctor." Ducky picked up the emesis basin and covered it using a tissue out of the box on the side. "If he wakes up, please don't let him do any more talking. He's taxed himself enough."
Abby watched him leave and waited until the door closed before sliding the rail down and sitting on the edge of the bed. She used her finger to trace the lines of his jaw before moving her hand down to lace her fingers through Tim's.
"Abby?" Tim whispered
"It's okay, Tim. I'm here."
"You okay?" Abby smiled at the slurred voice and knew that Tim was a hare breath from being pulled under again.
"I've got a headache, but I'm good. It's you I'm worried about."
"M'okay."
"No, you're not. But you will be." Abby let a tear trickle down her face and as she looked back up at Tim, she saw the green eyes that she adored gazing dopily up at her. "I'm sorry. God, I'm so, so sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you and I'm a horrible, horrible person for it."
"No...You're not. Shouldn't..Should've trusted...me. Not..horrible, though."
"I am. I know what I did was so wrong. That night, our date, it was special and you made me feel loved. I ruined that and I don't know what to do to get it back." Abby continued on with voicing her biggest fear, too worried to stay silent with them any longer.
" a good...start." Tim whispered in an attempt to encourage her to calm down.
"Is it enough?" she asked in desperation.
"It's...a start." Tim scooted over, making room for Abby to lay down with him. "C'mere."
"No, Tim. I'll hurt you." she warned.
"No. You won't...Not again." Tim's whispered words of trust took her breath away.
But, it was the not again comment that undid her and she felt the tears slip freely down her face as she lay beside Tim in the bed.
"I won't hurt you, Timmy. Not again, I promise." she vowed with her heart on her sleeve, in her eyes and in her voice.
"I know."