Week 2 - Thursday, Evening

The overhead lights in the NCIS main work area were out. The only illumination came from the desk lamps and computer screens from those personnel still in the building, as well as the recessed spot lighting permanently activated to provide emergency egress in the event of a power outage. The sun had long set. Shadows and darkness slithered and danced between the sparsely inhabited cubes and aisleways between the teams' bullpens. The orange office walls and multi-colored cubicle panels absorbed and muffled voices; providing a further gloom to the office surroundings.

As Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo clicked the mouse, putting his computer into "Sleep" mode, he looked over at this boss, Special Agent Gibbs. His reading glasses perched on his nose, he was going through the reports of the last couple of days' investigations. His chin rested in his right hand as his left hand rifled through the paperwork in the file. "Need me to make any corrections before I leave, boss?" Tony asked.

Gibbs, without looking up, shook his head slightly, "No." After a moment's pause he said, "We'll just hold onto these for a couple more days." When Tony didn't respond, he looked up from the file to see the younger agent standing in front of his desk attaching his holstered weapon to his belt; his black overcoat lay across his left shoulder in preparation to leaving for the day. Tony had already extinguished his desk lamp and his computer screen was black. "Something on your mind, Tony?" Gibbs asked.

"Do you want me to call them?"

Gibbs shook his head and turned his eyes back to the folder, "No, I'll take care of it." Gibbs felt Tony's presence steadfastly pinned to its position on the other side of his desk. Looking up again, "Something else?"

Tony quickly looked around the office and then back to Gibbs. "Are we going to set up surveillance?" Gibbs read Tony's face. Most of the time, Tony would put on a mask to hide those things that truly concerned him. He was more than adept at playing the clown, and most times he was successful in deflecting concern away from himself. Tonight, Gibbs saw no false face. Tony looked worried. "Or are we going to leave them on their own?"

Gibbs leaned back. Removing his glasses, he dropped them onto the open folder. "Do you honestly think we have the resources?" As if to validate his point, he looked around at the darkened, near-empty office.

Tony followed his eyes. "Yeah," he said. "I know…" he started.

Gibbs cut him off, "All we can do is inform them." Gibbs' eyes caught Tony's. "And trust they will do what needs to be done to keep themselves safe." He could see Tony pinch his lips together in frustration. "I know it doesn't seem fair," Gibbs said. "But we'll do what we can within the confines of our accepted mandate. Right now, that means letting them know the situation."

Tony understood, more than most of the other agents, the tight restrictions they had to operate under within NCIS. In a gesture of almost surrender, he nodded slightly. "Okay, boss." He smiled slightly as he began to turn away, "Have a good night."

As Tony moved away, Gibbs retrieved his glasses and placed them back atop his nose. Looking at the file again, he said, "You too, Tony. See you later." Tony stopped and turned back to Gibbs. While his head remained angled towards the folder, his eyes slid and locked with Tony's. Tony began moving again, receding into the darkness. Just as he moved into the light by the elevators, Tony turned and waved towards Gibbs. Then he stepped onto the open elevator.

Hearing the elevator mechanism taking Tony away, Gibbs sat back again and removed his glasses. Again, he dropped them onto the folder as his other hand reached for his cell phone. Opening the phone, he squinted at the tiny screen as his fingers worked the address book. When he finally found the number, he hit the 'Send' button. Raising the phone to his ear, he heard the ringing on the other end of the line. It rang once…twice…three times before he heard the connection from the other end and a woman's giggling laughter. "Hello?" she asked.

"Hello…This is Special Agent Gibbs with NCIS," he said.

"Well hello Special Agent Gibbs," the woman's voice, still tinged with laughter and a gentle teasing tone, flowed through the phone. "What can I do for you?"

Seeley leaned back against his chair. Surveying the remnants of the meal still on the dining room table, he smiled as he stroked his abdomen vertically. "Temperance," he said. "You really out-did yourself this time." Seated to his right, Temperance leaned back into her own chair smiling. He continued, "I have to admit, my darling," he leaned forward, reaching out for her hand. Feeling his stocking foot caress hers, her smile grew at the sound of his pet name for her. She slid her hand into his as he continued, "I was more than a little dubious about vegetarian lasagna. You know, I'm kind of a meat and potatoes kind of guy…"

"There are no potatoes in lasagna," she laughed at him.

He closed his eyes, trying to reset his thoughts. She always did this to him. Knock him off balance with her seeming non-sequiturs. He silently wondered, as he did so many times, if she did it on purpose. Did she actually know what he was talking about, but instead played the "clueless scientist" to put him more at ease? When he opened his eyes, he saw her looking at him in puzzlement. 'No,' he thought. 'She can't look that guileless and have it be an act.' He continued on, "Anyway…the lasagna was delicious, along with the garlic bread and salad." He raised her hand to his lips. Her smile returned as his lips caressed her skin.

She leaned in to him. He angled his body across the corner of the table, covering the distance between them. As they kissed, each could still taste the garlic and spices from the other's lips.

Leaning back, Seeley looked at his wife. 'People always say that pregnant women have a glow about them,' he thought. He smiled as he silently thought, 'I guess it's true…I can't remember her looking more radiant.'

Temperance returned his smile; only to have it replaced with a puzzled look, "What?" she asked as she started looking at her blue silk blouse for marinara stains.

Seeley's expression grew even more tender as he subtly shook his head. "I sometimes can't believe I could be so lucky as to have you in my life." He saw her ice blue eyes softening. "The first thing I see in the morning, and the last I see before sleep is your sweet, sweet face. I have the perfect wife…the perfect life." Temperance inhaled deeply. "And now," Seeley continued, "just when I think it couldn't get any better…we're going to have a baby." He paused a moment. Shaking his head, "You, a son, or daughter. How could any man want for more from life?"

The two sat in comfortable silence, their fingers interlocking across the short expanse of the table. Temperance's eyes moved from her husband's down to their linked hands. "You know I Love You, don't you Seeley?"

"Yeah," Seeley smiled.

"And sometimes you take my breath away when you tell me things like that." She felt Seeley's grip tighten. She looked back at him. "But that doesn't mean you can get out of doing the dishes tonight." Seeley's expression turned to one of shock. Then he saw the mischievous glint in her eyes and perfect smile light up her face. He couldn't help but laugh.

"I really meant what I said!" he protested through his smile.

Temperance laughed, "I have no doubt!" she agreed. "And I feel the same about you! But a deal is a deal. You're not going to rope me into helping you," she shook her head.

"Okay," Seeley said in his best 'hurt feelings' voice, knowing full well he wasn't fooling anyone. He stood and began folding the aluminum foil around the remains of the garlic bread. "I'll just get this cleaned up and then I'll just have to prove my Love to you." His hands busied themselves bunching the silverware together and stacking the plates.

"Seeley!" Temperance said in a raised voice. He looked at her. She looked stunned. "Haven't you forgotten something?" Seeley searched his mind for something, anything that may have slipped his mind. There was something there. He just couldn't thrust it into his consciousness. He looked at Temperance helplessly. She took pity on him. "Isn't there something you wanted to ask?"

Sudden understanding flooded his brain. Temperance watched as his puzzlement turned to remembrance. Even so, there was a slight look of distraction still in his eyes as he smiled and sat back down. 'Yes,' he thought. 'But there's something else I feel like I'm forgetting…I just can't get it.' He wagged his eyebrows, "Okay," he paused. "Question of the Day." Temperance clasped her hands together as she sat up straighter in her chair. A schoolgirl awaiting an oral exam. His eyes sharpened as he leaned over his forearms resting atop the table. "What is the funniest word you know?"

Temperance smiled, "The funniest word?"

"Funniest-sounding word." Seeley pointed a finger at her. "And it has to be one you know what it means."

Temperance leaned back. She smiled, her shoulders alternately bouncing up and down. "Funniest-sounding word…" she murmured.

Seeley saw her eyes move slightly down and to her right, meaning she was accessing her considerable knowledge store. 'Going through her inner dictionary' he thought. Seeley added, "And it can't be some off-the-wall medical or scientific word." Temperance's smile shrunk a little. "It's got to be a word most normal people would know and use." Temperance opened her mouth to protest, but Seeley continued on. "Not a word only you genius types would know or use." Her smile grew wider at Seeley's ego stroking. Her eyes went back to the search through her inner catalogue. Her smile disappeared as the words marched across her brain.

They had started this game shortly after moving in together. Seeley thought it was a good way to help wash all of the outside world and worries away if, on alternate days, each of them would ask a question that had nothing to do with work, crime, dead bodies, whatever. The question could be nonsensical, such as what kind of tree would you describe yourself as; or serious, i.e. where on Earth would you most like to visit? At first, Temperance thought it a silly game. However, she had since come to appreciate it. Indeed, she looked forward to it. It was a comforting routine. Preparing them for the rest of the evening and then later, bed. Seeley saw her eyes refocus and her smile return. He waited in anticipation.

"Kamikaze," she said, slightly giggling. At Seeley's look, she sat upright, fully prepared to justify her use of the Japanese word. When she saw him smile and slowly nod his head in agreement, she relaxed; the giggles returned.

"Why kamikaze?" Seeley asked, now fully amused.

Temperance shrugged, "I don't know. It just feels kind of funny when you say it. Those hard Ks. And the Ze on the end just seems to naturally flow into a smile." She saw Seeley's smile grow. "I mean, I know it refers to a suicidal act of Japanese pilots crashing their planes into their targets. But the term just seems kind of funny-sounding to me."

"Perfectly acceptable, darling," Seeley said.

"Plus there's one more reason it seems funny to me," Temperance said. At Seeley's questioning look she continued, "You remember all those photos of the pilots in their flight jackets and goggles and helmets? If they were prepared to crash their planes into their targets, why would they need helmets?" Seeley laughed. He had never thought about it before! Temperance joined in on the laughter. "Right?" she asked. Seeley nodded, unable to speak. He wiped tears away from his eyes. After a few moments, Temperance said, "All right, your turn."

Seeley's mouth twitched as he said the word, "Onomatopoeia." Temperance was stunned. Her jaw dropped as Seeley nodded and finally unable to contain it any longer, began laughing. She joined in as he explained, "Yes, I know it means using words that sound like what the words mean. Like 'Buzz' and 'Hiss.' But to me, it sounds like it should mean," he dropped his voice a couple of octaves, "a certain part of the male anatomy."

That was it for Temperance. Her giggles exploded into side-holding, diaphragm-spasm bursts of laughter. Tears rolled down her cheeks as Seeley, laughing along with her, helplessly leaned back and forth, his own hands reaching for his sides. Between guffaws, Temperance said, "Or maybe a disease affecting," she moved her voice a couple of octaves lower, "that part of the male anatomy."

Seeley bounced in his chair. He slapped the table as he laughed. "Doctor, I'm having trouble onomatopoeia." The phone rang, but neither paid any attention to it as Seeley continued in a 'Doctor's' voice, "Well, why don't you drop your pants, and we'll have a look at it."

Temperance bounced back and forth in her chair. She squealed as the scene played out in her mind. The phone rang again, but neither made a move to answer it. The two tried to contain their laughter as they gasped for air. Temperance wiped away tears with the heel of her hand. She stood and started to move towards the phone, but when she looked back towards her husband, she started giggling again. The phone rang a third time by the time she reached it.

Picking the handset up, still giggling, she said, "Hello?"

The voice on the other end said, "Hello…This is Special Agent Gibbs with NCIS."

"Well hello Special Agent Gibbs," Temperance said, with obvious mocking of the 'Special' part of his title. "What can I do for you?" she said, barely controlling her laughter.

Gibbs responded uncertainly, "I…hope I'm not interrupting anything?"

Temperance looked at her husband. Stifling her laughter, squeezing her eyes tightly shut, she lightly said, "Not at all. We were just finishing up dinner. I'm guessing you need to speak to Seeley?"

"Actually, you both should probably hear this," Gibbs said.

Gibbs' voice doused her laughter. Looking at Seeley, she said, "I'll put you on the speaker." Seeley, seeing her seriousness, immediately clicked into FBI mode. She hit the 'Speaker' button and nodded to her husband as she put the handset back into its base.

"How's it going, Jethro?" Seeley asked, his attention now fully riveted on the phone.

The voice on the phone was apologetic, "Not bad, Seeley. And how are you two?"

"We're good," Seeley said as Temperance gathered the casserole pan with the rest of the lasagna and moved it to the kitchen countertop. Seeley's eyes watched her as she moved. "I'm guessing you've got some information on Torres?"

"Not good news, I'm afraid," Gibbs said. "Our source has informed us that Torres is putting feelers out about you guys and us as well."

"Feelers?" Temperance said.

"Trying to get information about us," Seeley said. At Temperance's unspoken question, he continued, "Where we live, where we go, our schedules…"

"Why would he want that?" Temperance asked.

Gibbs replied, "He may just want to stockpile information, keep an eye on us, or…"

"Or what?"

Seeley completed the thought, "He may want to take some kind of revenge on us."

"For what?" she said, sitting down at the table again. "We haven't done anything to him." She looked at Seeley. "Have we?"

Gibbs said, "Outside of Jon roughing him up, not to my knowledge. We've got him and his crew under surveillance. But you never know with someone who's used to getting his way with everyone. We may be a threat to him and his business."

"Are we the only targets, or are your people also potentially at risk?" Seeley asked.

Gibbs responded, "Primarily you two, Agent Burns and the Smiths. Other than that he and Sullivan have no clue who is working on the case from our end." He thought a moment and then continued, "Maybe Ziva…she was the first agent to question him."

"Are you taking some kind of precautions?" Seeley asked, concerned.

Both Seeley and Temperance could hear Gibbs smile, "I've been in this position before. As I'm sure you have also Seeley. My team and I know what to do. I just wanted to give you and your team a head's up and for you to contact Agent Burns and Smith. He's down in Florida now?"

Seeley nodded, "Yes." Temperance moved back over to the kitchen counter and began spooning the remainder of the lasagna into a storage container. Seeley continued, "I'll get in touch with both Chaz and Jon as soon as I get off the phone with you."

"Good," Gibbs answered. "I just thought you two should know as soon as possible so you can take precautions."

"We appreciate it, Jethro. Is there anything we can do for you?" Seeley asked.

"We could use copies of all the information you have on his crew."

"You'll have it tomorrow."

"Sounds good," Gibbs said. "I'll talk to you tomorrow. You two have a good night. Sorry I had to share this bad news."

"Don't worry about it. Glad you called," Seeley said.

"Yes, thank you," Temperance said as she opened the refrigerator and placed the wrapped garlic bread and leftover lasagna inside.

"Talk to you tomorrow," Gibbs said and then disconnected from the call.

Seeley walked over and hit the disconnect button. Neither he nor Temperance spoke as he called Chaz and explained the situation and attempted to call Jon. There was no answer at their home or cell numbers. He finally contacted Cricket using the boat number. Jon was out, so Seeley and Temperance laid out the information for Cricket to relay to Jon. Afterwards, Seeley picked up the plates, glasses and silverware from the table and set them in the sink. Temperance stood in front of the dishwasher, her back to Seeley. He moved to stand behind her. Sliding his arms around her waist, he pulled her towards him. "It'll be alright," Seeley said softly. "We have the resources to keep us safe…" he started.

Temperance nodded in agreement. "I'm not worried. As long as we're together…I'm not worried." The two stood there a moment. Temperance said, "Why don't you do those in the morning?"

"You sure?"

She twisted her arms behind her and grabbed his belt, pulling him into her. "Yeah…let's go take a long, hot soak in the tub and go to bed. We can worry about Kelly, Jeffries, Torres and all the rest of it tomorrow."

"A hot soak, huh? You mean a bubble bath, don't you?"

"Yeah," she said as, in unison, the two slid their feet along the hardwood floor towards the staircase. She turned her head to him as she smiled and said seductively, "I'm gonna help you wash your onomatopoeia."