Ziva and I step out of the elevator together at NCIS, and she almost walks into McGee. I am wearing sunglasses inside because I am hungover. Why do all my female friends not seem to get hung over, but I do?
"What're you doing here?" Ziva and McGee demand of each other.
"I asked first," Ziva adds.
"Well, technically, Ziva, I think that if we were to put that to a test, you'd find that it was too close to call. But since my parents raised a gentleman, and yours raised a killer, I was defragging my computer," McGee defends himself.
"Liar," Ziva hisses as we walk into the squad room together. Only for Ziva to asks McGee, "Have you heard from Tony?"
"You came into the office on a Saturday morning because you're worried about Tony?" McGee asks as I clock the food and coffee on McGee and Gibbs' desk indicating that they worked all night.
"You've been here all night?" I ask while Ziva states it while throwing her hands up at the food and walking behind her desk.
"Is that a question or a statement?"
"Question," I snap at him, he's annoying me, and I'm hang over. I walk over to my desk and remove my bag that I am carrying.
"Why did you come in? Looking for Tony too?"
"No… Looking for my wayward boyfriend, he's not in the basement. So, I have to check here, and then I'm going to Mexico if he's not here… and I don't want to go to Mexico, I owe Mike a beer. HAVE you and Jethro been here all night?" I snap at him.
"It sounded more like a statement."
"Demands an answer," Ziva hisses at him.
"Yes, I've been here all night."
"Fragging the computer."
"'Defragging'. You need to work your inflections when you're asking a question. For example, why are you worried about Tony?"
"Well, he was supposed to meet us at the bar last night, he didn't not arrive, did not call. He's not answering his home phone or his cell phone. Do you have the number of his second phone?" Ziva explains while moving closure to McGee.
"The one he uses for his private calls?"
"Yes."
"No."
"Jethro was here all night too," I snap as I walk over and clean up his desk. Why didn't he call Ziva and me in?
"Are we a team, McGee?" Ziva demands while getting into McGee's face, asking the same question I am thinking. Why are people keeping secret?
"Morning Ziva. Alice," Gibbs greets us he walks into the squad room making me throw him a look before ignoring him. He continues while walking past me, so he is behind his desk looking at a mystery file, "Nothing better to do on a Saturday morning?" he is wearing a white shirt under a black shirt under a black jacket making him look hot and like an evil boss.
"Teams do not have secrets Gibbs. And if you do to tell me what you were both doing here last night, McGee knows he will," Ziva says while moving closure to Gibbs desk, threatening Gibbs before turning around and smiling at McGee before adding, "eventually."
"Or we could just read the file," I remind her while lunging for the mystery file, but Gibbs picks it above his head, so I can't reach it.
...
"Why would the CIA come after the director?" Ziva asks Gibbs once he informs us what they found last night while wrapping and arm around me.
"You tell me," Gibbs orders her.
"Protecting their asset."
"La Grenouille," McGee finish.
"Does the madam director know?" I ask Gibbs while snuggling into his side, he might have lied but he is telling us the truth now.
"Know what?" Shepard asks while walking into the room from the lab way.
"That it's Saturday, and we are all here on our day off, because we love our jobs," McGee lies.
"Except for Tony who is missing," Ziva adds.
"McGee, I want you to triangulate a cell number: 202-555-0177," Shepard orders McGee making him move over to his desk to find the missing cell.
"DiNozzo in trouble?" Gibbs asks while releasing me and walking over to look over McGee's shoulder.
"I know it," Ziva comments softly. Making me step so I am beside her and throw my arm around her shoulder in silent support for a friend-ish person.
"The woman Tony has been seeing, Jeanne Benoit, is La Grenouille's daughter," Shepard explains making us all freeze. Here we go again, why does she keep doing this? She better not get Tony killed like she did her witness.
"He been on assignment?" McGee asks her in surprise being the first to be able to talk again. Making Gibbs get up and walk so that he is right in front of Shepard.
"You did plan to tell us at some point?" Gibbs demands of her.
"If it led us to her father, yes," Shepard defends herself.
"Yeah, did it?" I demand of her with a glare.
"I don't know."
"You wanna tell us what you do know director?" Gibbs hisses angrily at her.
"Tony just contacted me using his alias's cell. It was a prearranged signal using only in emergency if he thought his cover had been blown."
"Triangulating," McGee informs us while putting it up on the plasma above my desk. I am stand between Gibbs and Ziva, holding onto Ziva while grabbing Gibbs hand with my other hand.
'Anthony D. DiNardo,' is what the phone is registered to.
"Tony DiNardo, cute," Ziva comments.
"I want this fed to MTAC and I want satellite coverage," Shepard orders us before storming out of the squad room.
"On its way," McGee promise while moving back to his desk to do it.
"Guess we're not going home… who wants coffee?" I ask everyone while releasing Ziva and Gibbs to get my wallet.
"Me," McGee and Ziva says together making me node before walking off.
...
"He's on 22nd street northwest outside Monroe University hospital," McGee informs us as he walks into MTAC where there is a map view of his location. I am sitting next and holding the hand of an annoyed Gibbs because he was kept out of the loop on his own agents.
"He's on the move," Shepard states.
"He must be in a car."
"How long until we get satellite coverage?"
"At least 15 minutes," McGee answers making Gibbs roll his eye and stand up, pulling me along behind him. McGee adds as we get closure, "Or we could patch into D.C.'s traffic-cam system. See if we can locate him on the traffic-cam management."
"Do it," Gibbs orders him before walking back to his chair and sitting down.
"Anything?" Shepard asks Ziva who is trying to ring Tony again.
"Still not answering. Shall I try his undercover cell phone?" Ziva asks us.
"Put it on speaker," Shepard orders her making Ziva do that.
"Hi, you've reached Professor Tony DiNardo. Leave a message and I will get back to you. I promise," Tony's voice comes from the answering service over the top of 20th century fox music.
"He's cover is teaching film online at American University," Shepard informs us making me laugh and whisper to Gibbs beside me.
"Finally. He's never ending movie references were coming in useful," I whisper into Gibbs ear, using his shoulder to steady me while I lean up to whisper it.
"No wonder he's been compromised. Whose bright idea was that?" McGee asks when Ziva softly makes a comment.
"Mine," Shepard hisses.
"It was really stupid… Tony's idea of teaching; is to annoy you until you do it right… or Jethro hits him," I state loudly making her turn her glare from McGee to me, but I just wave back at her.
"We're in," McGee informs us.
"Bring it up," Shepard orders him making him put the road cameras on the plasma.
"Got it. Overlaying the cell-phone signal," McGee informs us while putting a big red diamond over Tony's car.
"Tony's car," Ziva comments as McGee pulls up the license plate and runs it. Only to get a different name making him correct Ziva.
"Tony DiNardo's car."
"How deep is his cover?" Gibbs asks her from his seat beside me.
"Deep enough to withstand the sort of scrutiny La Grenouille can bring to bear," Shepard inform him.
"You better hope so. Because whatever happens to Tony because of you, I do to you," I promise her, making Gibbs bring my hand up and place a kiss, a sign he has developed to tell me to calm down.
"West on M Street," McGee informs us while tracking the car.
"No one else in the car with him," Shepard releases as she tries to ring him again.
"He's turning north onto 29th street."
"Traffic speed. No sign of duress," Ziva comments.
"His cell phone is still off," Shepard complains as she puts her mobile back into her pocket.
"No one seems to be tailing him."
"Maybe he's the one doing the tailing," Gibbs offers as he gets up and walks closure to the plasma at the front of MTAC.
"Still on 29th," McGee informs us when the camera changes. I am standing next to Gibbs watching Tony's car, only for it to explode.
"Tony," I scream as Ziva gasps. I fall to my knees trying not to sob, he… he's… he…
"Oh my god," Shepard says.
"Tony," Ziva whispers. I think it's safe to say we're all in shock.
...
We arrive at the site of Tony's car 'death' and get out of the car. The whole trip here, no one spoke. We are all wearing our NCIS jackets and badges, and silently walk towards what is left of the car. Pulling on latex gloves, getting ready to kill the man who killed Tony. The fireman has put the fire out that was coursed by the explosion and there is almost nothing left of Tony's car. I start at the burnt body in the driver's seat, he didn't even have time to take his hand off of the wheel.
"McGee," Gibbs calls to him but he's in too much shock making Gibbs yell, "McGee." When McGee looks over, he flicks his head, making McGee walk over to the car. McGee grabs his camera and begins to take photos of the crime scene while I grab my sketch book back begin drawing. Shepard is walking around, looking at what she coursed.
"Hey," Shepard calls out making McGee and I walk over to her to see what she found. She points to what she found, a round object and informs us, "That some kind of timer device?"
"Ten bucks in most electrical stores. Probably activated when the ignition turned on," McGee explains while photographing it. I stand up and continue to draw where everything is while Ziva begins taking photos of the car. McGee continues to talk in the background, "Count down however long you need it to. When it reached zero…" Shepard gets up and walks away from McGee while Ducky examines Tony's body.
"Shock wave would have killed him before the fire. Death would have been instantaneous. Small mercies, my dear boy," Ducky informs us.
"Identification?" Shepard demands making me resist shooting her, she got Tony killed. When she's hunting the frog, she seems to like getting innocent people involved and dead.
"The general build, height, weight are about right. Most of the epidermis and dermis on the hands and fingers have been burned off, so no fingerprints. We need to get his dental records for positive identification. And is there any chance that it's not Tony?" Ducky asks Shepard after looking at the body.
"None that I can think of," Shepard answers him before walking off.
"She blames herself," Ducky release as Gibbs watches her go and nodes in confirmation. Making Duck ask another question, "Shoe she?"
"Let me know when you finish, Duck," Gibbs states instead of answering but we all know the answer. 'Yes' she should and will be for a long time. She stone walled us with Ari but this time she might have as well killed Tony herself. Gibbs turns and walks away as Ducky turns back to the car where Tony's gun and badge is.
"You believe in miracles, Ziva?" McGee asks.
"Not part of my training," Ziva answers him as she photographs the gun and badge and I measure and mark how far from Tony.
"Alice?"
"Not anymore… I used to, but not in a couple of years," I answer him as I attempt to not cry at this crime scene. We need to be strong and do this right for Tony so that we can kill his killer.
"That might not be Tony," McGee offers but Ziva hands him the badge and ID she picked up. Tony's NCIS ID and his face is still visible, driving the point home. Tony is dead too… first Kate, then Cassidy and now Tony, we can't do this again so soon.
...
"Tony is not dead Gibbs. Not until Ducky says it's him. Until then, he's just… he's not here. And I don't care what the evidence says. Even if everything here belongs to Tony, it's still not him until Ducky says that it's him. And don't try to tell me anything different, because I'm not gonna believe you," Abby rambles in the lab as she removes the evidence from the bomb site. I turn my body into Gibbs side, trying not to cry because it's Tony, and I can't lose my pranking buddy. Abby falls silent for a moment before begging, "Tell me it's not him Gibbs, Alice. Tell me it's not him." She hugs him as she begs.
"I wish I could Abby," Gibbs answers her while rubbing her back making her release him and go to her computer.
"I need to be alone right now with eh gang. I've got work to do," Abby exclaims while talking about her machines. Gibbs turns to leave only to see a bottle of scotch and glass on the work bench, making him release me and put on some gloves. He picks them up, holding them so we can see them.
"Abby how did these get here?" Gibbs demands while squinting at her, waiting for the answer.
"Director Shepard swore me to secrecy when she brought those in and asked me to run them for the prints, so I can't tell you."
"When other secrets you can't tell us?" I demand of her as Gibbs puts the glass and scotch down before taking his glove off and following me closure to Abby. When she hesitates I shout, "I AM SICK AND TIRED OF PEOPLE ON THIS TEAM KEEPING SECRETS FROM ONE AND OTHER BECAUSE OF THE MADAM DIRECTOR."
"No. It's just that one. Because when director Shepard said that there wasn't any AFIS match, and then tries to hide the results from me, she actually didn't swear me to secret, so that is not a secret."
"Who was the match?" Gibbs asks her.
"Her father."
"Her father has been dead for 12 years, Abby."
"No, not according to AFIS," Abby informs us while pulling up the match and continuing to talk, "That is a ten-point match, Gibbs. These are new prints. There's no way director Shepard's father is dead."
...
Gibbs pov
.
"Alice, baby, I want to have talk with our madam director," I say while stopping her from exiting the elevator.
"You don't want me to shoot her?" Alice asks me, and I know she is being completely serious.
"No, I am more afraid that you're going to bite her. I need a new coffee," I inform her making her node. I place a kiss on her lips before opening the door and stepping out of the elevator and walking up to Shepard's office.
...
"I buried my father Jethro. I know he's not coming back. But someone is going to great lengths trying to convince me he's alive," Shepard informs me in her office as she stares out the window behind her desk that I am leaning my hands on.
"We've got a polygraph on Monday," I inform her when she turns to face me.
"Routine."
"They're targeting someone."
"Me?"
"So, I've been told."
"I've never failed a polygraph. I'm not about to start."
"And if they ask about your father?"
"He's dead."
"Any doubt, any hesitation will raise a red flag."
"There is no doubt."
"I saw his fingerprints."
"My father's dead."
"Subject displayed emotional instability suggesting delusional belief her father isn't dead. Next question. We just put her on medical leave or we fire her? Operation lodestone, you know it?" I demand of her as I stand up straight.
"Should I?"
"Black-Op, focused on weapon control and arms proliferation.
"Not one of ours."
"CIA."
"My father's job at the pentagon was in a field of arms control. He was under investigation for accepting a bribe when he was killed."
"Coroner says he took his own life."
"He was murdered."
"Proof?"
"None, but I know who's responsible."
"The same guy you sent one of my agents after?"
"One of my agents. A deep undercover operation that I ran on a need-to-know basis," Shepard informs me showing just how delusional she has become about this case. I turn to leave but she calls after me, "And Jethro if you think I'm, obsessed with La Grenouille because of what's happened to my father, you're wrong."
"You may wanna skip this polygraph test Monday," I inform her as I leave.
...
Alice pov
.
"McGee, stop that. I already have Kate and Tony's deaths engraved into my mind, I don't need you to keep replacing the moment Shepard fucked up again," I snap at McGee in the squad room because he keeps replacing Tony's car exploding on the plasma above my desk while I sit at Gibbs, holding my head.
"Must you keep doing that?" Ziva also asks him at the same time.
"Just checking something Gibbs said. Tony wouldn't have carried it with him, you know. His shield and ID, not if he was undercover. And he would have stashed it in the car, maybe under the seat. Just because we found his ID doesn't mean it's Tony," McGee informs us.
"His car, his ID, his weapon, both of his cell phones, McGee?" Ziva asks him without looking away from Tony's desk as McGee sits on the edge of Gibbs desk, rewinding the video and watching it again. Ziva finally gets up and walks over to him. She asks him as she walks over, "What was it that Gibbs said that you thought needed checking?"
"He thought Tony might be tailing someone," McGee reminds us making me get up and watch with them.
"Stop it there," Ziva yells while pointing to the screen.
"There," I overlap Ziva.
"Take it back," Ziva orders McGee making him rewind the video again to see a limousine in front of Tony's car. Ziva continue, "IT's a limousine. It was on the previous camera. It's on every camera."
"He was following the limousine," McGee comments as he walks over to his desk.
"Where is Gibbs?"
...
"The limousine is leased to a shell company. The parent company is Euro-Freight," Ziva reports to the director and Gibbs with the information on the plasma between Tony and McGee's desk in the squad room. I am standing against Gibbs side, holding onto the back of his shirt, he has his left arm around me while his coffee is in his right. We are standing behind everyone, almost at Gibbs desk.
"Head office is in Luxembourg," McGee adds.
"The principal behind the company is Rene Benoit."
"Tony could have been following La Grenouille," McGee continues as Ducky enters the squad room.
"I'm sorry to differ Timothy but he wasn't," Ducky informs us as he walks around Gibbs, grabbing his left arm making us turn to face him before he continues, "Look, Tony contracted pneumonic plague, I'm sure everyone can remember."
"Before my time," Ziva reminds us.
"We almost died," I say.
"He almost died," McGee overlaps me.
"I still have problems with my lungs because of it… so does Tony, the cold gets into the lungs and you can't breathe," I explain to Ziva while producing my inhaler and shaking it at her.
"From severe pneumonia," Ducky adds before continuing to explain, "As a result, his lungs would have been extensively scarred. Unlike the almost pristine lung of the man currently in autopsy. The body on which I am performing an autopsy is not Tony's"
"Yes," I yell before leaning forward, away from Gibbs, pulling Ducky into a hug as everyone smiles but Shepard smiles in relief.
"IF it's not Tony, then who is it?" Shepard asks us.
"And where is DiNozzo?" Gibbs adds making us loose the smiles but not the relief we are feeling. I step back from Ducky into Gibbs' chest.
...
"I want to know everything about this company. Bank statements, telephone records, personnel," Shepard orders McGee who is working at his computer with Gibbs looking over his shoulder and I am sitting at Ziva's desk with her… she really does love our pranker.
"Hard drive's spinning up now," McGee informs her while working on getting the information.
"Everything Tim. If la Grenouille is in D.C. this could lead us to him."
"OR DiNozzo," Gibbs reminds her as he stands up and walks over to his desk.
"Well, obviously DiNozzo is our first priority."
"Well, obviously, madam director," I hiss at her in anger.
"Ziva, start with the hospital. Find out when DiNozzo left and with whom," Gibbs begins ordering her.
"And who was driving his car. Got it," Ziva finishes for him as the elevator binges.
"Director Shepard," Kort begins as he sweeps into the room making me blink, she's pissed him off again.
"Mr. Kort. An unannounced visit by the CIA usually means someone's in trouble. I trust it isn't you," Shepard taunts him like she didn't almost get one of her agents killed as we all watch him closely.
"Where is he?"
"Fornell? He only comes in when we don't need him," I inform Kort.
"It depends on who 'he' is," Shepard informs Kort while giving me a look.
"DiNozzo," Kort informs him making McGee rise from his chair.
"I honestly don't know," Shepard says and that's the first honest thing she's said the whole time I've know her. She continues, "And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you until you explain to me why you're looking for him so urgently."
"La Grenouille flew to DC this morning. He didn't arrive at his save house," Kort explains as Gibbs stands up walked over to the rest of us, circling Kort. He continues to talk, "And his satellite phone has stopped transmitting."
"Mislaid your arms dealer? That's gonna be embarrassing," Gibbs comments.
"I don't know what NCIS is up to, but I want a private briefing in your office now."
"I'll decide what briefing you get and where you get it, Mr. Kort, and if we have a problem with that, why don't you have your director give me a call," Shepard says like a big man.
"You are jeopardizing one of the most important long-term covert operation the agency has ever conducted."
"Operation Lodestone," I state quite loudly to show that he doesn't scare us.
"You're not read in on Lodestone."
"Okay, so read us in," Gibbs orders him.
"Unless the CIA just believes in one-way traffic," Shepard adds.
"This is not going to end well for you," Kort threatens us but we're not afraid of this punk. He turns and walks towards the elevator with us following him.
"Special Agent DiNozzo's car was bombed this morning but I guess you know that when you planted the bomb," I accuses him.
"He wasn't in it," Kort promise us.
"Thanks for sharing," Shepard says.
"The agency has nothing to do with it."
"IS that when you mislaid your frog, in all that confusion?" Gibbs taunts him as the elevator opens, only for Tony to be standing there innocently. Why is he coming in on a Saturday? When he is supposed to be not dead.
"Hey, my car blew up this morning. Did you do that?" Tony says after laughing while pointing to Kort. Instead of answering Kort pins Tony to the elevator door that is still open, using his body as a door jam. We all grab our guns aiming it on Kort.
"Where did you go with la Grenouille?" Kort demands of Tony just looks at us making Kort look over. He releases Tony.
"Actually, he prefers Rene. Arms dealers get touchy about their code names," Tony says as we slowly lower our guns. He continues, "'The frog has a kind of slimy overtone to it. Maybe you should keep that in mind for next time. You could use it yourself."
"We will find him, DiNozzo," Kort informs him as he goes to steps into the elevator.
"You may wanna take the stairs. I had a little upset tummy this morning," Tony informs him but Kort enters the elevator anyway and Tony taunts him, "Happy frog-hunting." The elevator closure and Tony turn to us and asks, "What, no balloons?"
"Tony," I mumble before throwing myself at him in a hug. Making sure he's really here and not a figment of my imagination.
...
"That was more exciting live," Tony informs us when he watches the car explode on the plasma in Shepard's office.
"Anthony DiNozzo, that is the second car you've had destroyed when you're not in it and we watched on a plasma… you're not allowed anymore cars until you prove you won't blow them up, roll them, or in any way destroy them," I inform him while pointing at him. He is visibly shaken by today, so I am trying to little the mood, even for the moment until Shepard opens her big mouth.
"Neither was my fault," Tony complains with a whine.
"You saw it? You were there?" Shepard asks him as we sit around the table in her office. Tony is in front of Gibbs and me while Shepard is at the head of the table to Gibbs' right.
"Saw it, heard it, felt it," Tony informs her.
"You can start whenever you're ready."
"He was waiting when I left the hospital this morning with Jeanne. Shed arranged it. It was her little surprise, I guess. Meet the parents: part 2. I hate sequels," Tony complains making Gibbs and me smile before he continues, "Figured my cover was blown as soon as I saw him. Turned out he'd known for months."
"Kort?" Gibbs asks.
"Probably. I tried talking my way out of it. Made it as far as my car."
"Did La Grenouille tell Jeanne who you were?" Shepard demands like that's important right now.
"He didn't miss a beat. Pretended everything was fine. That didn't last long. I could see his guy driving my car a few car lengths behind us when… boom."
"What was La Grenouille's first reaction?" Shepard demands of the shaken man making me get up and pour him a glass of water, which I hand to him and drag my chair, so I am sitting beside him.
"That he was the target," Tony asks before taking a sip of the water and signing. He continues, "I'm not so sure."
"You think it was you, Tony?" Gibbs asks him.
"It was my car, boss. And we have certainly pissed off the agency a lot lately. Well, the director and I have pissed of the agency a lot lately. Although, mainly me," Tony informs us making me rub his back while glaring at Shepard, she put Tony in this spot.
"For what it's worth, Kort denied the agency involvement… if you believe him, but he didn't deny when I accused him of planting the bomb," I inform him.
"That's because Kort doesn't play by agency rules. That guy's got a hair trigger."
"Where did la Grenouille take you?"
"What does it matter?" I demand of her, Tony almost died, and she is only fixated on the frog.
"Well, kind of blew away the breakfast plans. Blew away a lot of things," Tony informs us sadly.
"Jeanne?" Shepard asks him.
"It wasn't supposed to happen like this."
"You never really thought it could end any other way, did you?"
"You mean, other than badly?"
"You're not supposed to fall in love with her."
"Thank you so much for that, director. I am gonna keep that in mind the next time. Wait a second, there's not gonna be a next time."
"What did Jeanne say?"
"What does it matter to you?" I demand of her.
"Nothing I'm gonna tell you," Tony informs her.
"Agent DiNozzo!" Shepard screeches.
"Nothing you need to know, director," Tony informs her making her sign in fury while Gibbs looks proud of him.
"Where is la Grenouille?"
"I don't know. He dropped me off at the main gate. Drove west. Probably heading to California. He was driving pretty fast. He could even be there now. Talk about his future."
"Yeah? About what?" Gibbs asks Tony as he leans forward.
"Doesn't think he has one."
"Probably doesn't," Shepard says, and I get the feeling she hopes he doesn't.
"He wants out."
"Kort know," I state.
"That would explain why he's so desperate to find him. The CIA is about to lose one of its most prized assets."
"What exactly does he mean by 'out'?" Shepard demands of Tony.
"Well, he's gonna call and arrange a meeting. And give himself up. Because he says NCIS is the only agency he trusts."
...
"What time? Did she say how long she would be gone?" Ziva says into her phone in the squad room as McGee returns with coffee for the three of us. He places a cup on Ziva's desk, hands me the next and sits on the edge of Ziva's desk. Ziva continues to talk into the phone, "No, no, I understand. Thank you." Tony arrives and slaps McGee on the back of the head before moving over to his desk, sitting down.
"What was that for?" McGee demands.
"Believing I was dead," Tony informs him.
"Oh, Anthony, we all believed you were dead… it's up to you to prove you're not. And you did," I inform him.
"How did I prove I wasn't dead before I arrived?"
"You have bad lungs."
"What?"
"Victim downstairs never had y pestis. You did," I explain making him node.
"Hey, I never believe that you were dead. Ziva was the one that gave up on you," McGee defends himself making Ziva lightly punch him in the arm.
"Don't even think about the head slap. Is everything cool with the director and Gibbs?" Ziva asks him.
"Beyond cool almost icy," Tony informs her.
"Yep… if you have a hot beer and the director's mood will cool it before her soul or heart," I inform Ziva making Tony laugh into his hand while taking his phone and calling someone, probably Jeanne.
"You seem anxious," Ziva comments.
"I'm fine. Anyone call for me?" Tony asks.
"The polar bear," I tease him making Tony smile at me.
"No," McGee answers him honestly.
"IF you're calling the hospital, she's not there. She called the ER to let them know she was going away from a few days," Ziva informs him making Tony angrily hang up the phone.
"Going where?" Tony asks.
"She did not tell them."
"Well…"
"She knows?"
"She knows."
"What are you going to do?"
"I am gonna wait until the morning and then talk to her," Tony informs her as Abby runs into the squad room screaming. She runs over and hugs Tony from his shoulder around to his other shoulder, almost knocking him off the chair.
"Tony! I knew you were all right. I know it. Everybody else gave you up for dead, even Ziva," Abby exclaims happily while standing back up.
"Okay, so I may have acted a little hastily," Ziva admits while holding up Tony's letter opener.
"That's my letter opener."
"Excellent balance and weight, the edge is a little dull, but I have always admired it," Ziva informs him making him roughly open his drawer to see what else is taken.
"Where is my American pie coffee cup?"
"Palmer," Abby answers him.
"Mighty mouse stapler?"
"Ducky."
"Hey dad," I greet him as he attempts to sneak the stapler back making Tony turn to see Ducky reaching over the divider, trying to put it back.
"My dear fellow I never believed it for a moment. Welcome home," Ducky lies before handing the stapler back to Tony before leaving.
"It's not everyday people think you are dead DiNozzo," Gibbs informs him as he walks into the room.
"And it better not became every day," I threaten Tony.
"Gibbs, I know who blew up Tony's car. Well not Tony's car, but his alias's car. And next exactly who but more like how and why," Abby informs Gibbs asks he runs over to his desk
"Do you have a motive?" McGee asks her.
"Me? No. But they do," Abby informs him as she turns to face him.
...
"Every bombmaker has a signature: the components, the way it's assembled. Sometimes right down to the coloured tape they used to bind it all together. In this case, the components are common to at least nine other bombs that have gone off in the last four years," Abby informs us down in the lab while we stand around the evidence table with the bomb parts on it. She turns to her computer, pulling up the photos of the other bombs while informing us, "I made a match on Interpol. The bombs have gone off all over the world: Algeria, Indonesia, the middle-east, Chechnya…"
"Anything linking the victims?" Ziva cuts her off with her question.
"They were all arms dealers."
"The only problem is Tony's not an arms dealer," McGee reminds us.
"Girlfriend's father is an arms dealer," Gibbs reminds us.
"She's been working nights. I pick her up every morning for breakfast," Tony informs us.
"You park the car, they strap on the bomb, set the timer and walk away," Ziva states.
"You weren't the target, Jeanne was," I inform him.
"Maybe she still is," Tony release.
"Take Ziva," Gibbs orders Tony making them leave to protect Jeanne. Gibbs turns back to Abby and whispers, "Good."
...
"Protection from whom?" Shepard asks Rene 'the frog' Benoit as we enter the study at Shepard's home where they are talking.
"Whoever tried to kill his daughter this morning," Gibbs informs her making Rene raise to greet us.
"Agent Gibbs and Todd, I believe. Well, it's true. My enemies come for my daughter. They wanna see me suffer but she's safe. For the time being," Rene informs us.
"Which enemies? Not this madam director," I state.
"I have many… Your madam director is only one."
"Why now?" Shepard demands of him while ignoring our dig at her.
"Does this have something to do with Operation Lodestone?" Gibbs asks him.
"He's well informed," Rene comments.
"Gotta be… it's our job," I inform him calmly.
"Read us in," Shepard orders him but I don't know that's going to work with the frog.
"Oh what? The arrogance to the CIA to do what? Make me the biggest arms dealer in the world?"
"You control the illegal arms trade, the CIA controls you. Stops people from arresting you," I state.
"That was the idea. Until you came alone and someone found out. Another arms dealer perhaps. And I'm running out of time. I can no longer trust Kort," Rene informs us while walking over form the desk to in front of us leaning against the door, making me snort, I trust that guy less than the FBI, Ari and Shepard combined.
"Did you ever?" Gibbs asks him with a laugh because that guy is not trustworthy, as Shepard rises.
"This isn't the first time you were in this study," Shepard accuses him.
"No. I met your father here on occasion. Many years ago," Rene admits as he looks around the study full of alcohol. Shepard has a problem with that too, not just this arms dealer.
"Tell me about him," She orders him like she doesn't know her own father.
"HE was a fine man. He had a conscience. One day, it got the better of him."
"You believe the story that my father took a bribe while overseeing an arms-reduction treaty?"
"Well, sadly, that's not a story. It's a fact."
"How do you know?"
"Because I paid him that bribe," Rene informs her making her pull a gun out of the drawer of her desk and aims it at him.
"No. You killed him because he wouldn't take it," Shepard corrects him with a crazy look in her eye. She is scaring me know and I'm not the one she's pointing the gun at.
"Well, I can understand how hard that is to accept. My daughter is… she's facing the same struggle," Rene informs Shepard as she slowly rounds her desk without losing her aim.
"IT's not loaded. I guess he beat you to it," Gibbs informs her after looking at her gun. Shepard drops the clip out of the gun to see it's empty.
"I didn't want you to do anything rash before I had a chance to explain myself. I need your protection," Rene explains.
"You have the bullets. Take the damn gun. Protect yourself," Shepard snaps at him as she slams the gun into his stomach.
"You're signing my death warrant."
"Twelve years overdue," Shepard hisses at him making Gibbs squint at her.
"Here's my number in case you change your mind," Rene informs her while placing a card on the desk.
"You'd better leave before I do."
"I hope my daughter is as loyal to her father as you are to yours."
"I'll see you out," I inform him before moving out of the doorway for him to walk in front of me. Once we leave the house he goes to keep walking to a black car hidden in the dark road where a street light is shot out. "Mr Frog," I call after him making him turn to face me with a half-smile on his face at my lack of respect. I continue, "Tell Jeanne, Tony did really love her… that he's sorry."
"How do you know that Miss Todd?" Rene asks me.
"Because I know Tony… he is, was a player, three, four girls at once. He loves her and was willing to move in with her yet he can't comment to a coffee drink."
"You're very loyal to your friend's love life."
"No, I'm loyal to my friends… NCIS might not have worked here because we have an idiot with a person vendetta against you who running us into the ground, try Loss Angeles or New Orleans. I don't want anything to happen to you or Jeanne."
"You're different to most agents."
"I am like every agent on Gibbs' team… willing to stand up for what is right, no matter who is going against us."
"Even Agent DiNozzo was game enough to call me La Grenouille but you call me frog."
"I speak English. In English you are a frog, not my fault that's the name you picked."
"I suppose I never thought of it being translated to any other language when I picked it. And no one ever had the balls to use it if they did."
"I like it. 'The Frog,' it's mysteries and funny at once. Though I would have done a different one."
"Like what? What name in English would you have picked?"
"Something that made people laugh only to become afraid when they hear the horrible things that name has done… like 'the puppy.' Or 'the weirdo.' Something light hearted and funny. But I can't sell weapons, I don't even like letting Tony borrow my knife, let alone keep it."
"You're funny, but you can call me Rene," Rene says while laughing at me which makes me smile, that's what I was trying to do, make him happy.
"Rene the Frog. I am sorry that Shepard endangered your family. I wish I had known to stop her involving Jeanne," I inform him making me walk back over and place a kiss on my check.
"Thank you, Alice Todd. And I will think about going to the other agencies."
"I hope you do, for your sake… and Jeanne," I inform him before he turns and walks over and into the car. Leaving me standing outside of the director's house alone.
...
Gibbs pov
"You just let your own personal obsession get in the away of your professional reasonability," I lecture Shepard the second Rene and Alice is out of the room, as Shepard almost runs over to her alcohol and pours herself a drink.
"That's a lot of crap, and you know it, Jethro. There are no deals for men like him. You wanna chase after him right now and arrest him without a warrant, you go right ahead. But we both know that Kort will have him out before breakfast," Shepard snaps at me. She is emotionally compromised and she got up Tony for that.
"Then get your damn warrant."
"You get a warrant. But you'd better do it fast before his friends get him first," Shepard orders me like a child that got her toy taken away, making me turn to leave but I had a thought.
"If the weapon was loaded, and I wasn't here, would you have pulled the trigger?" I demand of her while watching her drink her drink.
"I guess we'll never know," Shepard whispers to me making me half-smile before I walk over to the desk and pull out spare clip I am carrying, and leave it on the desk, following Alice out to see her standing on her own.
...
"Gibbs would have told us," Ziva says to McGee as I walk into the squad room carrying a coffee.
"Gibbs would have told you what, officer David?" I demand of her.
"IF Tony was taking some time off."
"Yeah, you're right. There always more work to be done when you're a man down on the shift. McGee," I comment while walking to my desk only to call for an update.
"I think I've got something here, boss. I found another one of La Grenouille's shell companies. Similar to the one that leased the stretch limo, only this one leases a yacht down at the Gangplank marina called the Mauritania."
"How big?" Alice asks him, she does like boats, as we all walk over and look over McGee's shoulder.
"Eighty feet, three state rooms. Ziva checked with the marina management. Someone's been staying there since Saturday. Older guy with an accent. They think he's French," McGee answers her as he puts the yacht on the plasma screen above Alice's desk.
"And a younger woman?" Alice asks Ziva hopefully.
"No, he said he was alone," Ziva reports.
"Warrant?" I demand.
"Just arrived from Legal. It is all in order. They could not guarantee it would not stop a concerted legal challenge from the Agency."
"Yeah, let them try. Let's go," I order us making us grab our guns and get ready to go.
...
We arrive at the marina and ready our guns before sneaking onto the boat and search it. McGee and Ziva come in one door while Alice and I come in another. We go down stairs searching every nock and cranny but he's not here and the boat is empty.
"Clear," Ziva calls out.
"Clear," I repeat.
"Clear," McGee calls out.
"Clear," Alice repeats.
"He's gone," Ziva complains.
"Maybe he was never here," McGee comments.
"He was here," I inform them as I hold his jacket that he had at Shepard's house. I throw the coat onto the floor of the boat.
"I hope he's okay… for a bad guy he was nice and let me call him Frog to his face," Alice informs us as we descend the stairs off the boat.
"We'll catch up with him eventually," McGee promise.
"Someone will," Ziva adds.
"One day," I state.
"Hopefully not Kort," Alice adds.
...
"Jethro, do you think Shepard killed the frog?" Alice asks me as she walks down into the basement where I am working on my boat.
"Why do you ask? We don't even know he's dead or if he's alive?" I ask her, sometimes Alice gets ahead of herself.
"No, I mean, if she had gotten the chance."
"Why are you asking Alice?" I ask her as I put the sander down and turn to face my girl, only to see she is very shaken about something making me rush over to her as I ask, "Alice. What's wrong?"
"I think Shepard would have killed him and hide the body," Alice says with a node but I'm not following her this time.
"Alice baby, you have to explain."
"The look in her eye when she had that gun aimed on him… if it was loaded she would have killed him without hesitation. Even though he came to her for help to protect his family. And we were there and would have seen her kill someone who is not a threat."
"I think she would have done what I did to Ari and Shannon and Kelly's killer," I say slowly.
"But her eyes Jethro… did you see them?"
"What about her eyes?" I ask her because I wasn't watching Shepard's eyes.
"She had the same look Ari had before he shot Gerald and me… and before he put us in the freezer… that crazy look," Alice explains with fear in her voice.
"Alice, what are you thinking?"
"It's not over… she's crazy, and wouldn't have cared if Tony WAS in that car. As long as froggy died at her hand… even if she had to kill him, by killing Jeanne."
"Alice, it's over. He's gone and I don't think he's coming back here again."
"Why did she care what Jeanne said to Tony… why did she demand that information? It wouldn't have helped her get frog."
"I don't know… I just…"
"She needs help. Like a straight-jacket or a firing squad."
"We'll get her help," I promise her as I pull her into a hug… I know she would have killed him but I didn't think Alice had worked that out. But I was just underestimating my smart girl.