To give credit where credit is due: NCIS fans may recall certain facts shared in a conversation here that also occurred on that series. Yes, that is where I got the idea for the name and the basis of the character. Therefore, thank you to the writers of NCIS for sending me into research mode to include what I have here.

Chapter 40

Later that afternoon, boisterous activity filled the beach house as the occupants waited for Tara and Myles to get there. While Amber, Danni, Craig, and Liz assembled around the table playing cards, Michael and Charles trudged through the house moving things from one room to another to prepare from their arrival.

When she learned that Tara was coming, Annie felt they should do something so the petite agent wouldn't have to navigate the stairs. Taking into consideration she was coming straight from I.C.U., they wanted to make her stay as easy as possible.

After talking Liz into arranging for the delivery of a hospital bed, Annie and Mrs. Kersting strong-armed Michael and Charles into helping get the library downstairs set-up. While it had a lot of furniture to be moved, the big windows would give Tara the view of the beach and ocean during the time she was confined to the bed.

"I think that should do it," Annie announced, helping Mrs. Kersting finish making the bed.

"It's about time," Michael muttered to Charles as they carried the last boxes from the room.

"I heard that," Annie called after the men.

"I know," Michael shouted back, laughing as they continued down the hallway.

"So when do you think they'll be here," Mrs. Kersting asked, looking around the room one last time.

"Ah," Annie started as she heard noise from the driveway. Going to the window, she peered outside and, with a smile, responded, "That would be them now."

Hurrying through the house with Mrs. Kersting on her heels, Annie headed for the front door. The others were already outside by the time the two women got there, helping the agents out of the car.

Annie instantly recognized Agents Manning and Hudson, slightly embarrassed over the way she acted the last time she saw them. Though she didn't want to admit it, she was afraid of Deputy Webster but more frightened of his accomplice, Genn Kelly.

The two men had provided a little bit of comfort just by their presence and she'd found herself quickly trusting them. When she found out they wouldn't be her protection from what she felt was her biggest nightmare, Annie had panicked.

Now that she'd met the four other agents, Annie realized how foolish she'd been. Unfortunately, it didn't make it easier to see the two men now.

"Follow me, Agent Manning," Mrs. Kersting stated, seeing Bobby lifting Tara out of the car into his arms. "We've set up the library for Agent Williams," she said, shooing the others out of the way so the agents could make it up the sidewalk to the door.

Annie smiled softly at Tara as she passed, her good arm wrapped around the tall Aussie's neck. She could see the petite agent was still in a lot of pain, but a tired grin played on her lips as she raised her fingers off his shoulder to wave at the group. Bobby's long strides quickly had her in the house, following Mrs. Kersting to her temporary bedroom.

Myles wasn't far behind them, but his step was much slower as his muscles protested the movement. The beatings he'd endured from Webster made him sore and stiff but he didn't want others to see his discomfort. His concern was for Tara as he watched her disappear into the house.

"Liz, how's it going?" Jack asked, coming around the side of the car with several suitcases followed by a pretty blonde.

"Good, Jack," Liz responded as Michael and Charles relieved the dark haired agent of the bags and headed for the house. "Who do we have here?" she asked.

"Ah, this is Sue Thomas. She's one of my team," Jack announced, turning to Sue he fingerspelled the others' names as he introduced everyone present. "Charles Anderson was the blonde agent and the other one was Michael Lane," he told her.

"What about the woman that went with Bobby?" Sue questioned, recognizing the names from the case files.

"That would be Ducky," Craig smiled, Sue just barely catching what he said.

"Did he just say D-U-C-K-Y?" Sue looked uncertainly at Jack, fingerspelling the name.

"Yes," Jack grinned, placing his hand on her back as everyone moved inside. "Otherwise known as Mrs. Abby Kersting," he told her, seeing the recognition in her eyes at the name.

"But why Ducky?" Sue asked, joining the others in the living room to which everyone shrugged.

"Well, it's definitely not after the water fowl," Mrs. Kersting declared, returning from the other room with Bobby behind her.

Jack tapped Sue's shoulder indicating the woman's return, but she didn't see the woman's response. Everyone watched as he signed the reply to her, NAME NOT WATER-BIRD.

"Oh, she's deaf," Mrs. Kersting stated, her eyes darting between Jack and Sue.

"Yes, she is, but if you look at her, she's awesome at reading lips," Bobby pronounced, giving his blonde co-worker a wink.

"So you just didn't hear me when I was behind you," Mrs. Kersting acknowledged, looking apologetically at Sue. "Sorry," she told her and Sue smiled understandingly.

"If you're nickname isn't after the mallard duck, where did you get it?" Sue questioned.

"Actually, my name was Mallard before I was married and the nickname came from a trip to London with my parents as a young girl," Mrs. Kersting explained, walking with Sue to one of the two couches. "The Mallard was one of many Gresley Class A4 steam engines in the 1930s for high speed passenger transport from London-Edingburgh. The engine was used as an express locomotive right into the 60s in the UK until diesels on northern routes and we were on one of its last trips," she finished.

"So you're named after a train," Craig stated incredulously.

"Nicknamed," Mrs. Kersting corrected. "And don't talk without getting Sue's attention. That's rude," she reprimanded.

"Oh, sorry," Craig apologized embarrassed.

"Thank you," Sue smiled at the young man as she blushed slightly at the attention she was getting. "It just makes it easier for me to follow a conversation if only one person talks at a time and they get my attention before they start," she explained.

"Do you understand everything we say?" Danni questioned, leaning forward on the other couch interested in learning more about the woman's abilities.

"Not everything," Sue shook her head. "Generally, I only get one or two words from an entire sentence, but sometimes it's enough to get the concept, so I have to piece together what was actually said," she told them.

"Fascinating," Amber exclaimed loudly, cringing when everyone looked in her direction. "Sorry, I just think it is interesting," she told them.

"Well, as exciting as this might be, we have more serious things to consider right now," Liz announced firmly, waving briefly to get Sue's attention before talking. "Jack and I felt since this affected all of you, it would be best to let you know exactly what we have so far," she revealed, looking around the room at the occupants.

"What do we have so far on Kelly?" Charles finally spoke up, looking at Jack and Bobby. "Do we having any leads on where he's at?" he asked, sitting next to Annie on the couch stretching his arm out behind her.

Annie glanced uncomfortably over to Charles before turning her attention to the other two agents. Ever since their shopping trip for groceries their first day here, she'd felt an undeniable attraction to the tall blonde. She'd even caught him watching her several times and he seemed to make a point of sitting close to her whenever he could.

Could I have a relationship with a F.B.I. agent? she wondered trying to concentrate on what Jack was saying. And what about this morning with Michael? Could there be something there too? Running her fingers through her blonde hair, she tried to ignore her wayward thoughts, noticing forlornly the way her hand shook as she moved it through the air.