Chapter 5
Gibbs sat at his desk, the bullpen deserted at such an early hour, he sat back in his chair, a starbucks cup in his hand, his eyes scanning all the information they had on Ari, trying to discover something that would give them a clue as to his whereabouts or his next move, and Gibbs was under no illusion, there would be a next move and it would be soon.
Abby crossed the room silently, a smile breaking out at seeing Gibbs in his chair; she silenced her footfall and tried to see how close she could get to Gibbs before he saw or acknowledged her, she grinned as she got closer, thinking that maybe for once she would actually reach him . She glided silently past Kate's desk, her heart pausing at the memory that it wasn't Kate's desk anymore
"Good morning Abby" Gibbs said quietly, his eyes not lifting from the report he was reading, a grin pulling at the corner of his mouth, he had heard her when she first entered the bullpen, and had noticed that when she spotted him her footfall had become quiet, so he had pretended not to hear her and let her think she would make it all the way to his desk
"Ah Gibbs, no fun, just no fun" she sighed coming to stand behind him and peer at what he was reading
"So agent FBI got you to come back then" Abby said more as a statement than a question, Gibbs spun in his chair to look at Abby
"Perhaps it was what you said that bought me back" Gibbs retorted smiling at the narrowed eyed look Abby gave him
STUPID ME NO Abby signed to him, grinning
REALLYQQ Gibbs signed back to her, the coldness leaving his eyes for the first time in awhile
NICE NO Abby signed back grinning "so what have you found then, my marine boss man?" Abby said turning back to the report on the screen
"Nothing" Gibbs growled, his eyes turning cold again as he turned back to the screen "Absolutely nothing" he sighed, running his hands through his silver hair, Abby watched him for a moment and then moved away, before she gave into her urge to run her own fingers through his mused up hair.
"Well boss man, my lab doth call me" she said turning and crossing to the elevator, spinning to face him again, walking backwards slowly
"Next coffee run, mine's a …"
"Caf Pow, do I ever forget my lab rat's fuel?" he called back grinning
"Yeah, often" Abby called back, stepping into the elevator as it arrived with a grin and a wave
Gibbs stared after her as the elevator closed his mind suddenly grateful that Abby was alive and here, with that thought he narrowed his eyes, a thoughtful look on his face.
………………………………………………
Tony pressed the button to turn his alarm clock off and rolled over in his bed, pulling at the dishevelled sheets that had come undone during the night due to the fact that he had tossed and turned most of the night, and that when sleep had finally claimed him, he had woken in a cold sweat from a nightmare of Kate's death.
Tony debated staying in bed all day and not going to work, but his mind turned back to his promise to Kate yesterday at her graveside and he slowly sat up in his bed rubbing his hand slowly on his bare chest, blinking the sleep from his tired and sad eyes.
Slowly Tony swung his legs out of the bed and prepared to face another day without Kate, refusing to believe it might also be one without Gibbs.
…………………………………………….
Ducky stood silently watching is old friend, he had bumped into Abigail in the elevator on his way down to the morgue and she had told him that Gibbs had returned, he smiled slightly remembering the animation he had seen on young Abigail's face, knowing how she felt about 'her silver haired fox' as she often referred to him when alone with Ducky. Ducky's face grew serious again as he watched the tiredness and frustration on Gibbs's face and in his demeanour. He had taken this so badly, he had already been hell bent on catching Ari before but it had become so much more personal and deadly now and Ducky feared not just for Gibbs's life but also for his sanity if Ari should slip through his fingers once again. He sighed and pasted a smile on his face, one that didn't quite hide the sadness in his eyes
"Good morning Jethro" he called out as he approached his friend
"Ducky" Gibbs said looking up at one of the few people he considered a friend. "What brings you up here?" he asked not wanting the interruption from his thoughts and analysis
In answer Ducky held up the Starbuck cup that he held in one hand, before carefully placing it on Gibbs's desk, his other hand held a super size Caf Pow cup
"Thanks Duck" Gibbs said gratefully sipping at the bitter brew, as he leant back in his chair, his eyes questioning Ducky silently, knowing that Ducky didn't normally do this unless they had been pulling an all nighter or he was worried about something
"I just wanted to tell you to be careful Jethro" Ducky said quietly in response to the unasked question, Gibbs smiled slightly, knowing what Ducky meant by the comment
"I'll be fine Ducky, once I catch him" he told him, his eyes drifting to the picture of Ari on his other screen
"And if you don't catch him Jethro, what then?" Ducky asked quietly one of the few people who would dare utter the words out loud to Gibbs
Gibbs turned hard cold eyes on ducky, not really seeing him but seeing through him to a time and place no one else could see
"Not an option" he said to himself and Ducky "Not this time"
Ducky stared at Gibbs for a moment before nodding and turning for the elevator, Gibbs never saw him leave.