Chapter Ten

Once they were back at NCIS Headquarters, Gibbs turned to face Tony.

'You're back from holidays but I'm warning you DiNozzo, stay away from her. She's trouble,'

'I appreciate your concern Boss but I know Aurora and what I do outside work hours..' Tony trailed off. He didn't want to fight with Gibbs again but he wasn't going to let his Boss tell him who he could and couldn't see.

'It is my business if it compromises this investigation,' Gibbs told him. 'I can respect you've known her for a long time but Aurora has a habit of only letting you see the person she wants you to see.'

'I know Aurora, Gibbs.' Tony asked. 'I've known her for long time,'

'I don't care if you've known her all your life. She is trouble and she'll only mess with you,' Gibbs said. 'Take my advice Tony, stay away from her. Having Aurora around is like having a tiger as a house pet. She'll be sweet one moment and ready to swipe your eyes out the next,'

'With all due respect boss I'm a big boy I can take care of myself. Honestly I won't compromise this investigation and I won't get hurt.'

'I can lead you to water DiNozzo but I can't make you drink,' Gibbs shook his head. 'Don't talk about this case with Aurora. She has enough connections to find out whatever she wants but lets not make this easy on her,'

'Boss what is it between you and her?' Tony knew he was about to get his head bitten off but he didn't care. 'I think while we're being open and honest here I have a right to know what brought about such bad blood between you two.'

'I'm asking you to be open and honest,' Gibbs said. 'Never said I have to reciprocate.' he told Tony. 'Now what else has Aurora told you? What is her stake in all of this?'

'I told you everything she told me,' Tony said.

Gibbs didn't believe him and was about to push it when Abby walked in. 'Hey guys,' she smiled. 'Might have something for you,'

'Anything would be great,' Cait said, feeling a little uncomfortable with what was going on. She wanted to know about this woman, Aurora who seemed to know everyone. Why didn't Gibbs like her? Why did Tony trust her?

'I got some hair from the crime scene. Most was the victims,' Abby said.

'Most?' Gibbs asked.

'There were two longer strands I found. One near the body and one in the bedroom,' she told them. 'It's auburn,'

'Really Abby, do we have follicles to get a DNA match?' he never took his eyes off Tony.

'Yep,' she nodded. 'Sure do, you find me the source and I can match it to our woman.'

'Yeah well we know where it came from,' Tony shook his head. 'She said she was there, she found the body.'

'And you would trust your life to her,' Cait shook her head. 'Tony, what are your favourite flowers so I can arrange to send them to your funeral.'

'Wait a second!' Gibbs cut in. 'Aurora found the body? Since when? No one told me that DiNozzo,'

'She's the one who made the call the call boss, she made the call after finding the body. She told me so and okay I know she could have killed him too but like I said I'd stake my life on the fact that she didn't.'

'Why didn't you tell me DiNozzo?' Gibbs growled with a controlled rage. 'We've spent the last 24 hours looking for the person who made the call,'

'I thought she'd told you today,' Tony lied.

'No and you didn't make sure she had,' Gibbs told him, his blue eyes burning a hole into Tony. 'Any idea what she was doing there? And don't say you don't know, she'd have told you. She didn't just pop into visit O'Sullivan,''

'Hang on, an old lady made the emergency call,' Cait said. 'Granted I wasn't nose to nose with her, But Aurora didn't look like an old woman to me. Not only that, the call seemed to be coming from 20 different places..'

'Aurora would have a scrambler and voice changer in her phone,' Tony said.

'Jesus, who is this woman?' Cait yelled.

'Just lets back up a tad shall we.' Gibbs was like a dog with a bone and he wouldn't let go of the fact that Tony hadn't told him that Aurora had made the call. 'When exactly did she tell you that she made the call?'

'Hmm just after we'd..' he thought hard. 'Gee I don't know exactly what time it was but roughly 3am.'

"I should have brought the popcorn," Abby muttered as she leaned against Tony's desk, wondering what was going on with her favourite NCIS team.

'You're sleeping with this... weirdo?' Cait asked Tony, although she had had a feeling. 'What is the matter with you?'

'What do you mean what's the matter with me?' Tony shook his head. 'We use to be lovers years ago. She was incredible then and she's,' he smiled then shook his head. 'It's my life Cait and she's not weird.'

'Way too much information Tony,' Cait shook her head.

'What else has she told you DiNozzo?' Gibbs asked. 'What is her call in all of this?'

'That's just it Gibbs she hasn't told me anything aside from the fact that he was her informant and the information that I gave you earlier. 'You know what she's like, she only gives what she has too.'

'I want to speak to her, now!' Gibbs said. 'You have a number for her?'

'Who is she? Who does she work for?' Cait asked. She had to know who this Aurora was.

'No I don't have a number for her,' he lied.

'Don't lie to me DiNozzo, you'd have a number to call her on,' Gibbs growled. 'Give it to me. Now!'

'No,' Tony growled at his Boss. 'I'll call her and set up a meeting but I'm not giving you the number. It's a private number Boss,'

'DiNozzo, you are skating in thin ice,' Gibbs muttered. 'Tell her to meet us, she can pick the place, or I'll never get her there.

'Tell her we're all coming down there,'

Tony nodded, moving toward his desk. He picked up the phone, looking up to find Cait, Abby and Gibbs watching. 'Privacy please?' he asked.

The three moved away but were still in earshot. Tony shook his head as he dialled and waited for an answer.

The phone was picked up after several rings but no one said anything. 'Aurora, it's me' he said, knowing she was there.

'Tony,' Aurora said. 'What's up?'

'Forensics just came back to us. They found two strands of your hair at the crime scene and Gibbs is demanding to know why you were there,'

'How do they know it's my hair?' Aurora frowned. 'They don't have my DNA,'

'No but it's long and red and he kinda put two and two together,' Tony said.

'Still could be anyone's hair. I'm not the only red head in the world,' Aurora said.

'No there was Lucielle Ball too,' Tony smiled slightly.

'Ha, ha. Is he mad? Aurora asked softly.

'You better believe it,' Tony told her. 'He wants to meet and talk to you. Actually he wants all three of us to talk to you,'

'I can tell him over the phone. I don't have to meet with him to tell him,' Aurora said.

'Hang on,' Tony said, turning to his Boss. 'Aurora wants to tell you over the phone Boss,'

'No. Face to face,' Gibbs said.

'Why?' Aurora demanded over the phone.

'She wants to know why,' Tony asked Gibbs.

Gibbs looked up at the ceiling before he walked over, grabbing the phone from DiNozzo. 'Stop making this difficult Aurora or I'll be forced to put a warrant out for you,'

'You wouldn't!' Aurora growled.

'Try me,' Gibbs simply said.

Aurora sighed, knowing she had no choice. She hated to be pushed into a corner. 'Fine. Meet me at,' she gave him an address. 'Only you and Tony,'

'And Cait,' Gibbs said. 'She's part of the team, she'll be there,'

'Fine,' Aurora said, losing patience. 'Just keep her at heel,' she said before hanging up.