"What the fuck were you thinking, Tobias?" Gibbs spat into his voicemail. "Tim is no predator. I can't believe you of all people would take Emily from him, after everything he's done for you both." Hanging up on his voicemail didn't give him an ounce of satisfaction.
It'd taken some great strength on Gibbs' part to get Tim to fall asleep. This time without alcohol. He'd had to call Ducky for reinforcements, fully prepared for Ducky to sedate a distraught Tim, but Tim dozed off before his arrival. He'd called Tony and Ellie in immediately. It was all hands on deck!
They all knew the allegations against Tim was the FBI psychologist's doing. Gibbs tasked Tony to investigate him and Ellie to start with Sarah's rape and work that angle. Tim was right! He was a convicted rapist. How did he get a job with the FBI? How did Tobias' opinion change so drastically in such a short timespan?
Ducky thought it'd be beneficial if he did a psychological profile on the psychologist. He also advised Ellie to go talk with Sarah, preferably without her husband present. He'd told Tony to escort Ellie, in case the husband got violent, knowing it's only a hop from controlling and manipulative behaviour to domestic violence.
Meanwhile, he was headed to Fornell's to talk to him. Possibly best some brains into him too.
No answer at Fornell's saw Gibbs get even more angry. He drove by Diane's and noted both Fornell's and Agent Ron Sacks' cars were both there. Which was a good indication Emily was there too.
He returned to Tim's with the team having agreed to meet at Tim's for lunch, which was still a while off, maybe he could crash for a few hours. He'd been up with Tim all night, trying to comfort the young man. The accusation of being a sexual predator had shocked him to the core of his existence.
"Hey boss," Tony whispered as he and Ellie entered Tim's apartment with Ducky in tow.
"What did you find out? Gibbs asked immediately.
"Steven Brown, formerly of the same name different spelling, did 6 years for rape two in sing sing, tried as adult at seventeen, got out in '05. That's when he legally changed his name, got a degree. He applied to the FBI four times before being accepted." Tony took the offered coffee and a long gulp. "Eric Rowan, thirty-six, struggled to pass FLETC, same class as Tim, we know Tim was top of his class too. Poor performance evals, been a case agent for the FBI for three years, he had five years off claiming he cared for a his dying mother, but the mum is alive and well. Before the FBI he was at CGIS for four years, left for restricted reasons, after that he was at DHS for two years, his record there is bare bones and dismissed for 'irreconcilable difference of opinions'."
"Spoke with Sarah, she was very talkative until Ethan, the husband arrived home. She said an FBI agent Eric someone, came to her house last week. Her husband did all the talking, he wanted to know about their falling out. Of course, she said Ethan doesn't like Tim so he didn't say anything nice. I asked about the attack and she just shut up immediately. Not before saying her husband 'cured her of the trauma'. Ethan arrived home and she dismissed us completely before claiming she refused to talk to us and he threw us out. Tony slipped all of our business cards into her purse that was on the counter while Sarah's back was turned. Hopefully she'll seek us out if she needs help." Ellie added. "I traced Sarah and Tim's movements from when their grandmother abandoned them. They were in four different foster homes before ending up in a group home when Tim was seventeen. That's where they met Steven and he raped Sarah. The day Tim turned eighteen they kicked him out of the group home to the streets. He had two bedroom accommodation from his scholarship at MIT, so he moved there and applied to the courts for custody of Sarah. He was denied, due to his age. But on appeal, it was granted, based on the fact Sarah's rapist was on bail and living under the same roof as her. Tim worked three jobs whilst at MIT to pay for her therapy and a stint in rehab when she began using cocaine. Apparently Tim caught her, after the third time she tried it and he still made her go through rehab. She's reformed and hasn't touched it since. They moved to Virginia after MIT and Tim went to FLETC. Sarah finished high school and went off to Waverley U. After the trial, Brown swore he'd destroy Tim for taking Sarah from him. It's in the court transcripts."
"Great work guys." Gibbs praised them as there was a knock at the door. The four of them looked at each other before Gibbs and Tony, unholstered their sigs, prepared to take on whoever was on the other side.
"Emily!" Gibbs screamed and pulled her into his arms as fast as he could. She looked terrified, but relieved to see Gibbs. Tony's mind flashed back to the day in the bullpen all those weeks ago.
"Thank god, uncle Gibbs." She whispered, hugging him tightly. "Is Tim ok? Last I saw him that crazy guy had his gun pointed right between Tim's eyes." Ellie immediately got Emily seated on the sofa and set about making a cup of tea. Ducky began immediately assessing the young girl for any physical injuries and treating the two blisters he found on her left foot from her shoe.
"He's ok, he's upset of course. Misses you terribly. Want Tony to get him up, he's asleep?" Gibbs offered, knowing his senior agent would love to wake his 'little brother'.
"Yeah, we probably shouldn't be here. When they find out I escaped they're going to come back here." Emily worried.
"Don't worry about it Em." Tony said sternly. "We're ready for them!"
"How did you escape?" Gibbs asked.
"Please!! They locked me in my old bedroom at my mum's house. I've been sneaking out of there since I was thirteen. Mum and Dad never knew how I was escaping. Just waited for the guard to leave and I escaped. Had no phone and no purse. Had to walk the whole way here." Ducky jumped up again and began checking Emily's blood pressure and heart rate, which thankfully was normal. "I stopped at a gas station and the female attendant gave me some water and Tylenol. My back is throbbing."
"Want me to massage it?" Gibbs offered, not really knowing how Emily would feel about other men, besides Tim touching her.
"No" Emily said panicky. "I can't handle males touching me, still. Sorry Uncle Gibbs, I know you won't hurt me…"
"It's ok Em." He said comforting her, "I know it took a long time for you to let Tim touch you. I know it's different with Ducky and Ed."
"I can do it, if that's better for you." Ellie offered. "My sister in law would have the worst pain when she was pregnant with my nephew. I used to massage her."
"Or I could do it." Tim offered from the doorway and Emily rushed to him. "Come on Em." Tim said as he wrapped his arms around her, took her back into their room and closed the door.
"I'll update Vance." Tony said as the door closed but Gibbs was dialling before Tony had a chance.
"We have a situation, Leon." Gibbs said seriously, ignoring all niceties. "The situation I appraised you of earlier has just gotten more complicated. Emily has escaped. She's here, but Tony and Ellie have discovered some disturbing new information."
"Safe house, Ducky's or mine?" Vance offered and Gibbs was surprised to hear the man offer his own residence. "The kids are with Jackie's parents in Florida and my security detail would be outside." He answered the unasked question.
"What about mine?" Gibbs offered.
"Negative, Fornell knows where you live. He knows that Emily might go to you if she can't get to Tim."
"Sounds like safe house will be the best bet." Gibbs conceded.
"I'll personally set it up. I want Ducky there to monitor both of them. From what you said it sounds like McGee is in shock from being threatened and held at gun point then having Emily physically removed from his home, powerless to do anything." Vance surmised. "Put Ellie and Tony on protective detail. I want Emily feeling safe. She's worked too hard to have it all undone by them."
"You gonna have my six here then?"
"With pleasure, plus Callahan, Jackson, Smith, Balboa and Kincaid. They're on standby and can be en route in thirty seconds. I'm six minutes out. I'll immobilise them and when we arrive I'll tell Tony which safe house and we'll get them outta there." Vance disconnected the call immediately.
Time was of the essence.
"Director Vance will be here soon, have you met Leon before?" Gibbs asked softly Emily through the closed door. "I want you and Tim to go with Ducky, Tony and Ellie. They're going to take you two somewhere safe. Get ready to leave." Gibbs finished. Tony and Ellie were preparing a route to the car without being seen, ultimately deciding to swap agency cars with the incoming agents and have them park in the basement.
Vance, true to his word arrived exactly six minutes later. Tim and Emily came out with a small duffle bag each. Which Tony immediately took off both of them to carry. "Thought they took your stuff earlier?" Gibbs questioned.
"They took the clothes Tim couldn't fit in the closet in his room. Dad didn't know Tim had moved me into his room." Emily answered. No one looked surprised by the announcement that Tim had moved Emily into his room.
"DiNozzo?" Vance beckoned him over before quietly instructing him which safe house to go to. "Schwartz and Yates are going to be on the detail with you and Bishop. They're outside, you two inside. Ducky both of them full examination. Then you can relax. Unfortunately, there's not much to do there, so maybe McGee could loan you a book Doctor." But Ducky, ever so prepared, pulled a paperback book from his medical bag.
"Sometimes, I have to wait. I like to be prepared." He explained.
"The other team is in position, let's go." Ellie advised.
"Wait Tony, Ellie, Tim, Ducky rule forty-nine." Gibbs advised and the three of them exchanged confused looks. "New rule: 'Don't come out of hiding unless Vance or I say it's ok.' Any one else, even our own agency say it's ok, you wait until it's one of us."
"Got it" Ellie confirmed.
"Yeah boss" Tim said softly.
"Yep!" Tony added.
"Of course, Jethro. I shall take good care of your team too." Ducky added.
Gibbs smiled as they headed out, noting that in addition to Ellie, Tony and Tim, Ducky was also armed.
At the safe house they met up with Agents Ian Schwartz and Cassie Yates. She informed Tony that they'd cleared the apartment fifteen minutes ago and everything was secure. That she'd take the front door and Schwartz had the courtyard door. They had also video surveillance set up on both doors, in the hallway, all entrances of the building, including the service entrance and the elevators.
Tony and Ellie had the back bedroom of the apartment which was where the surveillance monitor livefeed was set up.
The other bedroom Ducky would do the full exams and let the younger couple rest.
Agent's Ian Schwartz and Cassandra Yates were security experts and although the original safe house was a different location, they thought the apartment was more secure based on the potential to monitor better and the amount of people rated to carry and armed. 'Better to protect hard and fast, than loose and soft' was Yates' personal motto.
Back at McGee's, Vance, Gibbs and their band of agents were in position. Gibbs had seen Tobias and a man he didn't recognise pull up out the front and head in. Plan in motion, everyone held their position. Gibbs was to let Tobias in, letting think he was here for Tim's support. As he entered the apartment, both men would be taken by hidden agents and arrested. If there was four men, instead of two, they would each take a suspect.
"McGEE!!" Tobias pounded. "I know you're in there. Open up!" Gibbs cheeked the peephole and held up four fingers, indicating the number of men. As soon as the deadbolt slid back the four men stormed the apartment. "Where is she?!" Tobias shouted as he entered!
Without incident, the agents managed to capture all four of them before Gibbs got right up into Fornell's face. "How dare you?" He spat. "You know Tim. How dare you fucking accuse him of being a sexual predator?!"
"He set his own sister up to be raped. He set Emily up!" Fornell screamed in return.
"How the hell did you gather that Agent Fornell?" Vance shouted, joining Gibbs. The two men were more angry, more angry than the rest of the NCIS team.
"Dr Brown, he's our shrink. I trust his judgment as much as you trust Ducky. As soon as I said McGee's name he told me what he knew about the man. It was disturbing!"
"Since when does the bureau start hiring convicted rapists?!" Vance spat angrily in Sacks' direction.
"We don't, sir!" Rohan replied from Callahan's hands and Jackson wanted punch the asshole in the face.
With the exception of Kincaid, each agent personally knew McGee and knew he was was incapable of hurting any woman. Especially his own sister!
Balboa tightened the restraints tighter when Steve Brown scoffed.
"Where is Emily, Gibbs?" Fornell asked firmly.
"You took her, you tell me." Gibbs spat angrily out in return. The four men were taken to NCIS headquarters and Vance was advised by Dolten and Sandilands that Diane and Victor Sterling was arrested without provocation, for Breaking and Entering at Gibbs house and conspiracy to kidnap. He looked at his friend carefully, although at the moment Jethro Gibbs wouldn't have said they were friend's right now.
In the interrogation room, Gibbs and Vance started with Fornell. Gibbs had told Vance if his theory, remembering that Diane had tried to inadvertently blackmail him from helping Emily after her rape.
"I don't think you really wanted to go along with this. So either your FBI friends 'brainwashed' you against McGee for his personal vendetta or Diane and Victor are 'blackmailing' you. Which is it?" Vance asked, as a father whom he knew loved, adored and cherished his daughter, he couldn't see him wanting his pregnant daughter kidnapped. Especially a woman, who had already been held captive and attacked.
"Both.." Fornell mumbled and began explaining what happened.
At the safe house, after both of them being examined Ducky ordered to rest. Emily's back still hurt from walking all the way from Diane's house in Woodburn to Tim's apartment in Georgetown. He'd given her more Tylenol and McGee offered her another massage.
Ellie and Tony were itching to know what was happening at headquarters. As soon as the six of them were captured, Vance had updated them and that was several hours ago. By an unspoken agreement, Ducky had found some dry staples for some spaghetti and some plain meatballs in the freezer that seemed to be pretty fresh, as well as some frozen vegetables that Ellie swore she could turn into a delicious side dish. Dinner was now sorted.
They ate in teams with Yates and Schwartz eating after the MCRT and Emily, so that Ellie and Tony could relieve them. Putting the leftovers in two meal sized disposable containers, the kind your takeout comes in. Enough for Gibbs and Vance whenever they arrived. Tim and Emily offered to wash up, but Ducky, ever the gentleman, sent Emily to rest on the bed and took her spot drying the dishes and his chance to talk to the young lad without the young lass.
"How are you doing, my dear lad?" The kind Doctor asked his surrogate grandson.
"I'm doing ok now, thank goodness they didn't hurt Emily. It seems odd that Fornell would have put her in her bedroom, leaving her alone, knowing that she knew how to sneak out without being caught." Tim surmised.
"Yes, I agree, to an extent." Ducky replied "However, perhaps he was coerced and he knew it was how he could help Emily escape. After all, she wasn't bound, gagged or blindfolded. She may have been left keys to a vehicle or money for a cab too, but she missed that clue. Fornell, never questioned why she had so little clothes stored in the guest bedroom either, when they took her." Ducky theorised and it made sense to Tim. He knew that Emily and Tim had been sharing a bed in the hospital too, it made sense that maybe they were at home.
"He and Sacks never saw Rowan and Brown hold their guns on me. They were very careful about that." Tim confessed. Ducky silently noting Ellie and Tony transcribing the conversation at the dining table behind them. It meant that Tim wouldn't have to be formally questioned later in an interrogation room. Just a few formal questions if any popped up. Much less stressful for him.
"I can't imagine what I did to cause this, Ducky."
"You did nothing to cause this, my dear boy. Nothing!" Ducky replied.
"Well Steven Brown targeted Emily because of me." Tim reasoned. Ducky listened to Tim carefully, knowing he'd be borderline angry at the turn of events, perhaps even some repressed anger from the original rape of Sarah. He may have made Sarah go to therapy, but he doubted that Timothy did too. At least not at the time. "Because I took Sarah away from him. He was bailed to his last known address. The judge never took into account that it was the group home where the rape took place and that Sarah still lived there."
"You protected your sister from a monster. Nothing wrong in that! Have you spoken with someone about what happened back then?"
"Like a shrink, yeah. I've spoken with two of them. Nathan Hinkley a couple of years after it and Rachel Cranston again when Emily was raped. It bought up some bad memories for me."
"I shall seek separate appointments with our good doctor as soon as possible for both of you." Ducky promised.
Vance and the DA discussed the charges. Victor would be sent straight to prison, his part in paying Steven Brown and Eric Rowan to get rid of Emily violated the terms and conditions of his bail and he'd face a string of more charges. Diane would face blackmail, conspiracy to kidnap, aiding and facilitating kidnapping charges and a breaking and entering charge - which was questionable, legally, since Gibbs never locked his door. The plan apparently was if Victor got Emily back for Diane, Diane would divorce him and agree to move on not take him for a dime in the divorce settlement. In turn she'd forgive him for the rape and visit him for conjugal purposes.
Eric Rowan would be dismissed from the FBI with extreme prejudice and he faced kidnapping, threatening with a deadly weapon charges and a few related charges.
Steven Brown faced fraud charges for lying on his D-627PD3 form which is a declaration that you've never committed a crime under another name. He also faced threaten with a deadly weapon, assaulting a federal officer, kidnapping charges and a few more charges to be named later.
Ron Sacks and Tobias Fornell's parts were tricky. They never forced her to leave, just threatened her to comply. They assured that she was always in a position to escape, they'd left her the means to do so at every turn. They weren't aware that the stuff that Steven Brown had told them about Sarah's rape was all lies and had believed them. Tobias was being blackmailed by Diane and Victor over a brief fling he'd had ten years ago with Victor's niece. She'd just turned eighteen at the time and they were threatening him that he'd go down for statutory rape charges. They'd manufactured evidence that suggested they got together the year prior when she was a minor.
Neither Sacks or Fornell knew that McGee had been held a gun point or that Brown and Rowan had hit McGee with the butt of a gun to get him to stay down in order to leave. It'd been hard enough to disorient him, but not bleed or cause concussion.
The DA felt Tobias and Sacks' case wouldn't be charged, but they would face repercussions and sanctions from the FBI review board and Fornell, of course, would face the fallout from this in his relationship with Emily and subsequent friendships with Gibbs and McGee as well as professionally With NCIS.
Gibbs was bone tired, hungry, mad, angry, furious and upset with Fornell. Pissed off too. He'd been ordered by Vance to hand Sacks and Fornell to the FBI Deputy Director and that suited him fine. He didn't want the apology he knew Fornell had for him and didn't want to break rule forty two 'never accept an apology from someone who just sucker punched you'.
"Let's go, cut your team loose, Gibbs." Vance said as he returned from walking the DA out. The prisoners had already been transported. "Reports can wait until DiNozzo, Bishop and McGee do theirs tomorrow afternoon, when they come in. Come on, it's late." Gibbs wondered if the Director was hungry as he was.
"Sounds good." Gibbs agreed. "Apparently Ducky has dinner a cooked dinner for us at the safe house."
"Don't care if it's cold toast. I'm starving." Vance chuckled.
Their arrival at the safe house was without remark. They immediately cut Yates and Schwartz go, thanking them and handing over a coffee to each of them from the tray of coffees they'd bought. Surprisingly to Gibbs, Emily and Tim were awake on the sofa watching a film with Tony and Ellie, while Ducky was asleep on the bed. Vance and Gibbs regaled the others on the full story after eating their dinners.
Emily stayed silent, she just burrowed tighter into Tim. "Ducky has organised for Rachel to come and see Emily tomorrow morning." Tim whispered to Gibbs.
"You'll talk to her too." Gibbs ordered softly, ruffling his hair. "Ok?"
"Promise." Tim said.
"Gibbs, after reports are done and submitted. I'm taking the MCRT off rotation until the weekend. Everyone has been running full steam for weeks. Can I suggest a team bonding activity? We can have someone come in to conduct something formally." Vance offered.
"We'll do something ourselves, thank you." Gibbs said, definitely not wanting to do the team bonding exercises of the past. Especially when a beer, pizza and movie nights have worked well in the past.
By unspoken agreement, Bishop and DiNozzo followed them back to Gibbs who took Tim and Emily with him. Gibbs set them up in the guest bedroom, he claimed his usual - the sofa, Tony took the two recliners and Ellie was bundled in a nest of blankets and pillows on the floor of the living room. Gibbs went to the basement and Tony and Ellie, immediately went to sleep, feeling the effects of the adrenaline rush of the last thirty six hours.
Tim and Emily could hear the snoring of DiNozzo echoing down the small hall to the bedroom. They didn't hear Ellie's voice or Gibbs, but Tim knew he'd been in his basement. Emily lay on her side, while Tim massaged her back. Tim tried to remain clinical at first but little moans and sighs of relief from Emily were activating his libido fast and he placed a few stray, soft kisses on her neck. Which only spurred her on.
She rolled over on to her back to kiss him fully. She ran her hands over his naked torso, having only worn cotton boxer shorts to bed. Emily still had her cami on which she wordlessly removed before resuming the exploration of his body. His hand trailed around her body, capturing a breast and rolling her sensitive nip, a jolt of pleasure ran through Emily breaking their kiss. Tim worked his lips down and took the opposite breast in his mouth wholly and erotically suckled and swirled her into a frenzy. Her hips bucked as another jolt ran through her body "oh Tim" she moaned softly in which he smiled against her body. Her hands found the waistband of his boxers and ghosted his hard cock. It twitched under her hand in anticipation.
"Em, are you sure?" He whispered softly, as she was physically moving his hand down to her remove her lacey underwear.
"Yes," she moaned he slipped a finger into her. Her hips bucked again. He swiped her clit and she came undone in his hands. She rolled him onto his back and started trailing her tongue over his chest, nipples, into his belly button before removing his boxers and nuzzling his testes. She swiped her tongue over the head of his hard cock and it twitched again, swirling it in her mouth.
"Em baby, I'm going to last if you keep that up." Tim warned as his hands carded into her golden auburn hair.
"How do you want it?" She asked a whisper, her lips constantly brushing his sensitive head. All he could do is moan in pleasure. He pulled her roughly up his body and rolled her back over onto where her cami landed. He entered her slowly giving her time and space to pull away.
"Don't have a condom on me, I'll pull out." Tim promised. "I am clean Em, I swear."
"come in me." She replied. He began moving slowly before Emily wrapped her long legs around his waist forcing him deeper within her.
He reached between them, swiping at her clit before pulling back to kiss her cries of ecstasy. Last thing he wanted was an audience bursting in. Emily quickly climaxed again, pulling Tim over the edge with her this time.
He'd only promised himself to sand for an hour before bed, just to calm his mind enough to sleep. Climbing the stairs, he froze, thinking he heard the beginning of a scream from the guest room. His brain panicked for a moment, before he remembered Tim was in there too. He shook his head to clear his thoughts away. They were safe here, the case was done.
He passed the guest bedroom silently, to the bathroom, to change into sweats for bed.
He stumbled onto the sofa, straight to sleep, knowing his 'kids' were safe.
Tobias Fornell had to talk to Gibbs. He knew it was late, but knew Gibbs' would be awake. He wasn't sure how welcome he'd be, but knew the door would be unlocked. By the time he'd finished at the FBI, he'd driven around trying to clear his head. He came to the conclusion he needed to start with Gibbs. Then Emily and Tim. Then branch out. He knew he had a mess to clean up and remembered Gibbs had a rule about messes.
Turning down Gibbs street, he prepared to pull into the driveway. Only to see two NCIS agency vehicles in his driveway, along with his truck, but no charger. The the whole house was plunged in darkness. He parked across the road from Gibbs place and sat there watching the house for signs of movement. There was none. It was possible that Gibbs was in the basement working away on his damn boat, but it was more likely that Gibbs had gathered his 'kids' and Emily to keep them out of harm's way for the night. He got out of his car and thought he'd walk around back, if the basement light was on he'd try to sneak past the kids.
Luck was not on his side and there wasn't a single light on in the house. He knew not to enter the house, with four armed federal agents on premises, there was no doubt, he'd be shot on entry. Then probably shot again for the fun of it.