Fountain of Sorrow 1
(An NCIS Story)
Disclaimers: I don't own any of the JAG or NCIS characters. I don't own any product or label mentioned for the purposes of telling this story. Any similarities to situations or persons living or dead are purely coincidental.
Spoilers: Any JAG episode up to and including 'Bridging the Gulf.' Any NCIS episode is also fair game, especially 'Reveille' and 'Bette Noir'
A/N: This is part of a larger JAG story I wrote over the course of Season 10 called 'Will You Always Be There? I thought it might be wise to set up the story with outtakes from the chapters dealing with my main characters in this story. There are JAG characters is this story, but they are secondary to the main NCIS characters.
1000
General Creswell's office
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. and Lieutenant Commander Faith Coleman had been summoned to the general's office. They both sat in front of his desk and waited as he read over a file that sat in front of him on his desk. He spoke:
"Commander Rabb, I want you to head up a JAGMAN investigation of a fire that occurred over the weekend in the family housing unit at Little Creek. There are a few complicating factors. The first one is that a Master Chief David Graham, a SEAL, was killed in that fire. Another is the victim is one of the men whose picture was published in all the major newspapers interrogating a prisoner on the ground in Afghanistan. The last complicating factor is that the surviving spouse has asked that the lead NCIS investigator not be involved in this case."
The general extended his hand, and Harm rose and took the file from it. He sat back in his chair. Harm had heard about the pictures being published; there had been talk about suing the newspapers involved. He opened the file and read the name aloud. "Jethro Gibbs?" He looked at Faith with raised eyebrows. He just figured that this was yet another person that Gibbs had pissed off. He turned to look back at the general. "Did she say why, sir?"
"Yes, she is his first wife."
1030
Monday
March 7, 2005
NCIS Headquarters
Washington Navy Yard
Agent Tim McGee sat down at his desk and turned on his computer. He noticed something unusual in his peripheral vision. He turned to see that a snapshot was taped to Gibbs's computer terminal. He rose from his seat to get a closer look. As he stepped toward Gibbs's desk, Special Agents Kate Todd and Tony Dinozzo walked into the office. They both noticed the puzzled look on McGee's face.
"What's going on, McGee?" Kate watched as he turned his head slightly in curiosity.
McGee got closer and got a clearer view. "Oh…well." He stood up straight; looking slightly embarrassed and started to walk away. It was a picture of a much younger Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Kate recognized him right away and stepped closer to get a better look.
The man in the picture was in bed. His arm was up trying to shield his eyes. He was smiling a sleepy smile at whoever was taking the picture. It was Gibbs, all right; Kate would know him anywhere. Forensics Agent Abby Sciuto had come into the office unnoticed and looked over Kate's shoulder.
"Wow…nice six pack. Who's the…oh God, that's Gibbs!" Abby looked at Kate; both women waggled their eyebrows and laughed. Gibbs was wrapped in a sheet that rested low on his waist, revealing a tanned and very well defined torso. Gibbs had been a true 'lean mean fighting machine' in his younger days.
"Is something funny, ladies?" Gibbs stood just outside the group that had congregated around his computer. As he stepped into the group behind his desk he saw the picture.
"What the hell?" He stepped around the desk, quickly dispersing the other three NCIS agents. He stood closer and got a clearer look. He opened his drawer and pulled out a pair of gloves. He put them on and carefully removed the picture from the computer. Turning it over, he saw that someone had written on the back of it. In the right hand corner, the words 'Summer 75' had been written. The ink was fading but it was clear enough to read. There was also a verse written in darker ink, which appeared to have been written more recently. It read:
Who is this coming out of the wilderness?
Like pillars of smoke,
Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,
With all the merchant's fragrant powders?
Behold it is Solomon's couch,
With sixty valiant men around it,
Of the valiant of Israel.
They all hold swords,
Being expert at war.
Every man has his sword on his thigh
Because of fear in the night
Of the wood of Lebanon
Solomon the King
Made himself a palanquin.
Gibbs turned the picture over again. It had been taken nearly 30 years ago. Only Dani would have this picture; though he certainly hadn't kept any of her. This was a picture taken in better times, when he and Dani were both different people. He took an evidence bag out of his desk drawer and dropped it in. He took a similar bag out of the breast pocket of his jacket and handed them both to Abby.
"See if you can get prints from these." He started to walk toward the elevators. The clear bag revealed another picture and what looked like verse written on the back. This one was of a young woman; Abby assumed it was a photo of Gibbs's first wife. It was already all over the office that Gibbs had been taken off of a case involving his first wife. Her husband, a Navy SEAL, had died in a fire, under suspicious circumstances.
"Boss?" Tony knew that this had to have something to do with the investigation at Little Creek. "Where are you going?"
"To Little Creek." He looked back at Dinozzo and Kate and emphasized, "Alone."
Kate immediately began to follow Gibbs toward the elevators "Gibbs, Director Morrow gave me specific instructions to keep you out of this investigation."
"This isn't just about a possible murder/arson on a naval base anymore, Kate. This is personal now." His clear blue gaze held a warning.
Kate stepped onto the elevator. As the doors closed, she leaned back on the wall of the elevator. Gibbs turned to look at her but she was not backing off. This time she was responsible for this investigation and she would know whatever it was that he knew. There was a lot more to those pictures than Gibbs had said.
"What's the story on those pictures? Why is this personal now?" Kate stopped the elevator and folded her arms across her chest.
Gibbs did not want anyone in the office to know this much about his personal life, especially not this. He joked and complained about his ex-wives all the time – they were all fair game as far as he was concerned – but this was different. The first divorce had cut the deepest, and now she had been thrown back into his life again.
"Look, Gibbs, I don't want the information for office gossip. This is my investigation and I want to know what you think this has to do with you now." Kate was getting exasperated.
He knew she was right, but it still pissed him off. "Who wanted me taken off this case, anyway?"
Kate looked down and then back at him. "Mrs. Danielle Graham, for reasons that should be obvious to you. Frankly, given your recent comments about marriage and ex-wives in particular, I'm surprised you want anything to do with this."
Gibbs face hardened; she had no idea what she was talking about.
"All right, Agent Todd, I found the picture I gave Abby taped to my front door last night. It is a picture of my first wife. It was taken in the summer of 1975, as was the one on my computer this morning. It also had a verse written on the back of it."
Gibbs turned and placed his hands on either side of Kate's head and glared at her, riveting her to the wall with his icy gaze.
"It read, 'You are fair my love, and there is no spot on you. Come with me from Lebanon…'"
He leaned in closer his lips just inches from hers. "You have ravished my heart, my sister my bride, you have ravished my heart with one look of your eyes, with one link of your necklace."
He thought of Dani and what they had once and suddenly, it hit him like a hammer. At that same moment Kate had had enough.
She made a fist and slammed it backward on the wall. Gibbs was startled and stepped back one step. He was still seemingly determined to do as he pleased as far as the investigation was concerned and to keep his own counsel.
Kate, however, was not going to be deterred. Damn it, he was not going to intimidate her. She had never worked for anyone like him. It was turning into a real love-hate relationship. He was one of the sharpest investigators she had ever worked with and he was also the most arrogant and impatient. He was a game player to the Nth degree and he wasn't going to win this one.
"Stop it." She said in a even and determined tone of voice. "I'm not going to back off. Did you or your wife write those verses on the back of the pictures?"
"No…At least I didn't. I didn't know that she still had them."
Kate pushed the button to release the elevator. She was intrigued now. "How did the pictures survive the fire?"
Gibbs looked at Kate, waiting for her to read what he was thinking.
"You think whoever is responsible for the fire is also responsible for leaving the pictures."
"What do you think?"
"You were ordered to leave the investigation to me, Gibbs. General Creswell notified us this morning that there will also be a JAGMAN investigation being conducted in tandem with ours. It seems that Master Chief Graham may have been an international target. He and a fellow SEAL's photographs were taken while conducting an interrogation and published in a number of newspapers. The wife has also not been cleared as a suspect."
Gibbs remembered the situation being discussed among his superiors though he never put Dani's husband into the mix. He vaguely remembered that she had married a SEAL. He smirked; she'd probably done it out of spite. Gibbs hadn't seen her in over 20 years, but he would bet his life that Dani wouldn't kill anyone.
Gibbs exited the elevators walking toward the doors out of the building.
"Gibbs, don't interfere with this….Where are you going?" Kate did not want to go to Director Morrow, but she would to keep this case from being compromised.
Gibbs stopped and turned to look at her knowing she would go to the director. "I won't go to Little Creek, Kate." He turned to walk out of the building. He wasn't going to go…yet.
1200
Monday
March 28
Smith Residence
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Harm parked in front of the residence. It was a beautiful home just south of Rudee Inlet in the resort area of Virginia Beach. He and Lieutenant Commander Coleman had been notified that Mrs. Graham was staying with her parents until she was able to make other arrangements. They both looked at each other, and then exited the car. Neither officer looked forward to having to interview Mrs. Graham to eliminate her from suspicion in the death of her husband. It had to be done, though, and Harm wanted to start here while Gunny was following up some other leads for him. An elderly and elegantly dressed woman answered the door.
"Can I help you?" The woman looked at them warily.
"I'm Commander Rabb, and this is Commander Coleman. We are from the JAG Corps, ma'am. We'd like to speak with Danielle Graham, if she is available."
Another woman walked up behind the older one. She was a beautiful woman with strawberry blond hair and striking green hazel eyes. Danielle Graham showed little sign of her 48 years, with the exception of touches of gray at her temples. She was not a frail person, though she gave off an aura of sadness.
"I'm Danielle Graham." She looked at the older woman. "Its okay, Mom, I'm expecting them." She looked at Harm and Faith. "Won't you come in?"
Harm and Faith followed her into the foyer and then to what appeared to be a formal living room.
"Can I get you anything?" Danielle Graham was being gracious, but her grief was evident on her face. Her mother hovered just outside the room, seeming reluctant to leave her alone with them. Harm and Faith declined and Danielle looked at her mother.
"I'm okay, Mom – don't worry."
"We're sorry to have to intrude at this time, ma'am, but we need to ask you a few questions," Harm began.
Danielle nodded.
Harm reached into his breast pocket and took out copies of the two photos that had been left at Gibbs's home and office. "Do you recognize these either of these pictures, ma'am?"
Danielle reached for the pictures and blanched. "How?" She paused. "These are pictures of myself and my first husband; they were taken about 30 years ago. What could this have to do with David being killed?"
"They were left in plain sight at Agent Gibbs's home and at his office. There may or may not be link, ma'am. Agent Gibbs has stated that he did not have copies of these pictures and that you were the only one who could have had them. Have you had any break-ins prior to the fire?"
Danielle thought for a moment. "We had some trouble last fall. A number of homes in our housing subdivision were also hit, but we just thought it was some kids' pranks. Nothing of value was ever taken; they usually just broke in and made a mess and got out."
"Did you have these pictures in your home at the time, ma'am?"
"Yes." It occurred to her just then that she had carried them around all these years. "I think so. I had forgotten I had them" She looked at both pictures. She barely recognized herself. She had been standing at the kitchen sink and Jethro had crept up on her and snapped the picture. She shook her head slightly.
"This was a lifetime ago." She turned the picture over and read the verse that had been copied on the back of each picture.
"Do you recognize the verse on the pictures?"
"I recognize the verse – it is from the Song of Solomon, but I didn't write this." She handed the pictures back to Harm.
"Is there a particular reason you wanted Agent Gibbs removed from this investigation?"
"I was told he would be leading the investigation over the weekend. Nothing out of the ordinary was said or done; I just felt it would be awkward. He is my ex-husband. I haven't spoken to Jethro in over 20 years."
Harm smirked and thought, 'And I thought Harmon was bad.' "Were you aware of any threats being made to your husband or yourself in the last few months, ma'am?"
"We were all concerned about the pictures of the interrogations in the paper. Some of the members of the SEAL team intend to sue. We had discussed it but hadn't acted on it yet. We thought that since we lived on base, we'd be safe. We were only supposed to be here another six months, so we just didn't think anyone could get to us there. There was no specific threat made…no."
Faith looked at Harm. "Sir, if I may?"
Harm nodded.
Faith continued. "The other break-ins that occurred in your neighborhood: were they members of the SEAL team as well?"
"No, the other team members lived off base; a lot of the men don't have families." Dani was suddenly having a difficult time believing that she was never going to see her husband again. She still expected him to walk through the door any minute, his deep and rich laughter filling the room.
Harm asked, "Ma'am, why were you staying here instead of at your home?"
"My father had surgery early last week, so I came to stay with my mother and help her take care of him."
Harm continued to ask about the details of her weekend. It seemed obvious to him that she had not been involved. She had been with her mother or father the whole weekend.
2030
Monday
March 28
Smith residence
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Dani walked out onto the deck of her parents' home. She had just helped her father to bed and left her mother reading in the living room. It was a warm night; warm for early spring, anyway. She stepped off of the deck and walked onto the sand pathway that led over the dune to the beach. The moon was full, so the night was not so dark. She needed to think and just breathe. She still had trouble grasping the fact that David was gone. He had been the anchor of her life for over 20 years. What would she do without him? Both of her sons were on their way home from different parts of the world, she needed them now.
She was used to living alone, but only because she'd known that he was coming back. That had been what sustained her. She could bear anything, because at the end of it all, she and David were together. What about the boys? Right at this moment she didn't know how she would support them when she seemed so unable to even believe what had happened herself. Aaron seemed to be the stronger of the two boys. Boys? They were men now.
Her son Aaron was in Iraq; he was on his way home now. He had chosen the military as a career, but had joined the Army. She had laughed and told him he probably had only joined the Rangers to tweak his father's nose. The thought still made her smile.
Their youngest son Matt, had chosen the Navy, he was just one year younger than his brother. He was aboard the USS Patrick Henry in the Persian Gulf.
She walked up the steps that bridged the dune and sat down on the top step, facing out to sea. She folded her arms and rested her head on them. Suddenly she thought of every cross word they had ever had, every time she had lost her temper or been impatient.
She remembered how patient he had been with her in the beginning. Her emotions had been so raw from her first marriage. She hadn't trusted anyone, and he'd borne the brunt of it. He had loved her through it all.
Suddenly she knew that no one would ever love her like he had, and she felt the loss of it at a visceral level. She doubled over and cried so hard she couldn't catch her breath. She tried to take in big gulps of air to calm herself to no avail. Up until now Dani hadn't broken down in front of her mother and father, or anyone for that matter. She thanked God she was alone.
She was not alone, though. Gibbs had parked his car in front of her parents' house and had seen her walk out of the back of the house. He followed slowly behind her as she walked toward the beach. It was odd, but in shadow she looked the same as she had when they were first married. She wore boot cut jeans, she appeared to be barefoot and her hair was long flowing down her back. Her oversized shirt billowed behind her in the wind. He remembered that they'd always fought about her stealing his shirts out of his closet.
He knew he shouldn't be there but he followed anyway. He reached the top of the bridge to walk across when he saw her sitting at the top of the steps, resting her head on her crossed arms. He started to walk toward her when he heard her begin to cry. The sound stopped him cold, and Gibbs knew he had no place there. This was not the time an he was grateful that there was just enough wind to cover the sound of his retreating steps. He remembered that sound, the heartbreaking sound of Dani when she finally let herself cry.
Gibbs made his way quietly to his car and left without notice. He was relieved that no one had seen him. There were a lot of unanswered questions, but they couldn't be answered tonight. It was going to be a long drive home.
2325
Monday
Gibbs residence
Gibbs leaned back on his work bench and sipped the bourbon from his cup. Who the hell could be doing this? He knew that whoever had left the pictures with the verses had to be involved in the arson at Little Creek. This person had to know enough about him to link him to Dani. Her name was not common knowledge to anyone he worked with. Someone was digging deep in his past and he did not like it at all.
He thought again of Dani, of the sound of her crying for her husband. He remembered the time she had cried for him – at the end, when she had finally given up. In his mind's eye he saw her as they stood outside the courthouse ready to go their separate ways. It was the summer of '84.
"I wish you well, Jethro; I hope you find whatever it is you need to make you happy. It sure wasn't me."
She had caught him out with someone else. It wasn't the first time but it had been the last.
"I know it doesn't matter now, but it really didn't mean anything." He'd meant to say that it wasn't her fault, but it hadn't come out that way.
"You know, I can accept everything but that. Don't tell me it was nothing. It changed everything." She'd looked at him directly. "I know I'll never be the same again." She'd looked away from him for a moment, gathering her courage. She'd still loved him but she could not stay with him anymore. "I used to think that women who tracked their husbands down like I did that last time were pathetic. I had to, though; if I hadn't I would have taken you back. I couldn't lie to myself if I saw it with my own eyes."
"Dani…" He didn't know what he was going to say – he just wanted her to stop talking and for this conversation to be over.
She put her hand up. "No… there is nothing else to say." Tears spilled down her cheeks and she turned and started to walk away. She began to run, leaving him behind and never looking back.
They had married very young; they'd been only 18 years old. They had been very happy in the beginning. He smiled when he thought of how he used to tease her about wasting his money on living room furniture; they hadn't used it much that first year. When he was home they were in their bedroom most of the time. They'd had a lot of potential for happiness, but slowly, without their knowing, it had all slipped away. He'd made a lot of mistakes, they both had. In spite of it all, he'd thought that he would be with her forever, but looking back to that time he'd seemed to be in a cycle of destruction and his marriage had gone down with it. He had just come back from Lebanon when it all seemed to fall apart. He had been there when the car bomb hit the Marine barracks at Beirut in October of 83'
Gibbs sat his cup down on his workbench, and then it struck him. Both verses on the back of the pictures mentioned Lebanon. He picked up his phone and dialed a familiar number.
TBC
A/N: The verses are taken from the Song of Solomon, from the New King James Version of the Bible.