A/N: Here's another chapter folks! To my latest followers/favourties, welcome! To all my reviewers, thank you so much! I love hear your thoughts! & am so glad you're all loving this still. I know that it's been a bit longer than I said, over a week, but pesky life seems to get in the way. Again, I will try to update as regularly as I can, but I will have to ask for your paitence!
To my reviewers, I'm sorry I haven't been able to reply to you individually as I normally do, but I'm super busy & super tired & I just want to get this chapter up! Thanks again & I will try to get to the replies tomorrow!
Now, let's get right into it..
"Listen up" Tristan called as she headed into the bullpen "Local LEO's have located our fakers" she was glad that they'd caught a break, though she wasn't sure if it was a good one or not.
Kruse & Donnelly's ears picked up instantly at the news, though they were hardly alone.
Tristan knew that under normal circumstances Gibbs would be handling this part of things, but she understood why he had to go to the hearing & honestly, she wanted to lead this charge just as much as anyone.
"We've found them?" Tim asked as he looked up, he was quite surprised, but glad! A Break! He shared a look of relief with Ziva.
"Yes, but unfortunately they're not available for interrogation" Tristan replied "they're dead"
"What! Where? How?" Kruse asked, though he wanted to scream! He had wanted a piece of these men! He & Donnelly's teams had been burning the candle looking for them!
"Local LEO's found their bodies down in Parco di Villa Floridiana" Tristan replied "they saw our BOLO's & called us. Kruse, Donnelly, I want one of you down there with the majority of your teams, I want that scene processed ASAP! I've got one of NATO ME Team's meeting you there, we need to know who they are!" she was frustrated that they hadn't been able to work out their identities thus far.
Donnelly & Kruse nodded "yes ma'am"
Ziva watched as Tony seemed to digest the news, she would have expected something, anything, but he just sat there, as if he was expecting this, she'd have to talk to him.
Tristan saw the pair join heads to work out the personnel issues, her eyes cast over to the Marine Officer sitting with Tony "you must be Captain Bond, Deputy Assistant Director Tristan" Gibbs had given her a heads up about him, both in relation to the task force & otherwise.
Mike rose to greet her "Pleased to meet you ma'am"
"I believe you're with us for the duration?" Tristan asked.
"yes ma'am, the Colonel has okayed me remaining here until we locate Commander Kaplan, he's promised any resources we need in order to locate her, he's on his way in to speak with you personally"
"Yes, I received his call a little while ago" Tristan replied, she turned to Tim "Any news?"
"We're having privacy issues with the hospital, they're refusing to give us information about why Jacob was admitted & the details as to when/where he went after he was discharged" Tim reported.
"Stay on it" Tristan replied "have we been able to locate…" she had gone to continue but saw the Gibbs clan all disembark the lift, she was curious "So? How'd it go?"
Gibbs & Shannon shared a look, they couldn't say they weren't happy, because they were, but they were also annoyed.
Nix grinned "I'm playing on the weekend"
"Congratulations" Tristan offered, she was sure that would have them all extremely happy, but the looks on Gibbs & Shannon didn't show that. While the senior Gibbs look slightly amused.
"That's great Phoenix!" Tim smiled, seemed they were able to appeal successfully, he wondered if Kelly had anything to do with it, she was looking well, a little sheepish.
Mike saw & heard numerous people smile & give a 'yea!' in return across the floor, he was however stoked! "That's awesome squirt! Looking forward to match day!"
Silva's eyes widened at the marine, he was using the nickname Kelly had for him, she'd been updated on his status as ex-boyfriend, but it seemed liked he was in category as 'still friends' & not just with Kelly, but Phoenix too!
Nix grinned "and so you should, I'm starting!"
"Starting?" Tony asked surprised
Mike looked at Nix in shock, he was starting? "you're…. you're…."
Nix just grinned even harder, it was so satisfying to see him lost for words "I… am….. starting" he said slowly emphasising each word for Mike "think the coach likes me"
Mike shared a look with Kelly, really? Already?
Kelly shrugged "I'm right there with you!" she'd nearly fallen off her chair when she heard the coach tell her brother he was starting Friday night's game.
Shannon smiled at the shock on Mike's face, she had to admit though she was pretty shocked as well!
"So the appeal went well then?" Ziva enquired.
Gibbs eyed his daughter as he answered her "no"
Everyone stared at Gibbs in shock.
"Oh come on dad, it went well" Kelly countered "Nix got off, aaaannnnnd I got a new job! I'd say that was a pretty good outing, no?" she finished with a sly grin.
"New job?" Tim asked surprised, where'd that come from? She was happy where she was.
"A new consulting position" Kelly clarified.
Ziva saw though that Gibbs & Shannon were just eyeing their daughter "what kind of consulting position?" she asked gently.
Nix smiled "The club's asked Kells to join their legal staff in a consultative fashion, they were…." he stopped for a moment's pause before continuing "pleased that she was able to secure the rescindment of my red card & want her to come on board to help with future cases"
Mike saw Gibbs & Shannon were boring a hole through Kelly's head, he'd seen that look on Shannon before & got a sense at what she did "you didn't go… well, like you did in the mock trial, did you?"
Shannon looked at Mike "I'm so glad someone else remembers that! Because yes, that's exactly what she did!"
Mike's eyes widened at his friend "you didn't?"
Tristan had to admit, she was a little surprised at the ease of interacts between the Captain & the Gibbs family, even though she knew the connection, it had been years ago! He must have really made impressions on them all back then.
Kelly gave him a very sheepish look before replying "the judges were biased idiots & I wasn't as bad as I was back then, I've learnt self-control" she said confidently.
Tim wondered just how bad she'd gone off, he'd only seen her loose her cool once in a court setting & according to Nix, it was nothing compared with previous ones.
"If that was self-control, then I'd hate to imagine what it would have been like without it young lady!" Shannon retorted
"I don't see what the big deal is, the club are cool with everything, Nix got cleared & is actually starting, starting the match! And I've got a new job, can we not focus on the positives?" Kelly asked trying to turn the focus off her antics from the proceedings.
"Yea!" Nix chuckled.
"We are happy about the positives, but we're not going to forget about the negatives young lady" Shannon replied.
Mike saw Kelly come & perch herself between him & Tim "so does this new position pay anything or you in it for the glory?" he asked
"I get a monthly retainer contractor fee" Kelly replied.
Gibbs had remained mostly silent part of him was still shocked at what had happened "now Michael, ask her when she'll see a paycheck from it"
Mike looked at Gibbs surprised that he was referred to by his first name, but he looked at his friend, he saw a look & knew what he was getting at "how much this time?"
"It's the record!" Nix chuckled.
Mike flashed a look at Nix before looking back at Kelly "that's impossible!" he knew what her previous record was & it wasn't small!
"Oh that's what we thought" Gibbs remarked
"You got fined?" Tim asked gently, he'd heard about some of her previous fines, so he was also surprised at the news. He was also trying to work his way into the conversation, which seemed to be Mike & the family, he wasn't really happy about that.
"The clubs paying it" Kelly replied "half's coming out of my retainer" she offered a moment later.
Mike realised why Gibbs & Shannon were looking annoyed "do I even want to know?"
Nix leaned into him & whispered "it's beaten the previous record by two thousand"
Mike's eyes widened "you got fined eight thousand dollar?!" he asked in shock.
Tony's eyed widened in shock & he knew he wasn't alone, everyone was staring at Kelly in utter shock!
Kelly bit her lip & just smiled "kinda"
"Kelly Anne, there is no kinda about it, they fined you €8,000 in contempt fees & it's not even a proper court!" Gibbs replied
"It's probably a good thing that it wasn't a proper court otherwise you may have been remanded for that display! And that is a record I do not wish you to have" Shannon added.
Mike just eyed Kelly carefully.
Tim was utterly flabbergasted, they'd fined her €8,000? What did she do? Tell them all to go to hell? Assault them? What would constitute a fine so large? He was still though getting his head around those kind of sums being bandied around in common talk, which is exactly what happened amongst lawyers.
Kelly eyed Mike back, praying beyond anything he'd keep his trap shut, that couldn't come out! She turned to her parents "look, the club said if I hadn't spoken, the red card would have stood. So they were more than happy to share the cost of the fine as long as Nix got to play & if I'm honest, I think I was merely saying what we all wanted to say & I really think that the fact that I lost it all in Italian just shows how much I'm grasping the new language."
"Oh don't even go there!" Gibbs & Shannon both retorted, they smiled though at their unison on the matter.
Jack had been watching on, he had to admit his shock at what his granddaughter had done, even though he didn't understand exactly what she was saying, he got the gist well enough, but she was right, she was only voicing what they all wanted to & it did get him off.
"She's got a point though" Nix chuckled, he'd been impressed by his sister's ability to lose it all in Italian.
"Yes, and you have somewhere to be, so let's get home so you can change" Shannon replied.
Nix nodded, he patted Mike on the shoulder "got training, but come by tonight, bit of one on one?"
Mike smiled "you bet, let's see where your skills are at"
"I'll beat you" Nix smirked.
"Never done thus far" Mike retorted.
Ziva watched as Nix headed off, it was easy enough for anyone to see that not only did Kelly have a close relationship with Mike but so did Nix, he was close with both of them.
"I apologise for disrupting the place Megan" Shannon offered.
Tristan smiled "what's a bit of… well, good news & a surprise to break the day up" she really didn't know what else to say, she couldn't believe that Kelly had been fined €8,000, what had she done in the hearing?
"Yes well, the surprise we could have done without" Shannon replied, she looked at Kelly "try to behave for the rest of the day" all she got was a smirk in return, she turned to Mike "I expect to see you tonight for dinner mister"
"Sure thing Mrs G" Mike smiled
Tim & Tony both flashed each a look, he was referring to her so casually & Gibbs was ok with it?
Gibbs bided his wife, son & dad farewell & turned to Tristan "so anything?"
"Let's talk upstairs" Tristan offered.
Tony watched the pair head up, before he pulled his chair closer to Kelly "ok, dish!" he wanted to hear all the details!
Kelly chuckled "I said it like I saw it"
Mike just shook his head "yea, so I'm guessing you said something like…. I can see that you're a blind idiot who's so bent on his ways that you're unwilling to budge…. Am I close to where you started?"
Kelly grinned "No, didn't start with that"
"Well, they were blind if they weren't going to rescind the card" Silva pointed out
"Thank you Shaz" Kelly smiled "see, I was merely pointing out fact"
"You don't have to convince us Kells" Tim commented, he was a tad annoyed that Mike had managed to steer this conversation.
"I know, I'm merely saying that they fined me for speaking the truth, if not a little unpleasantly" Kelly admitted.
Mike smirked as he stood "I'm so glad you haven't changed KG, you're still the firefly I know & love"
Ziva saw Tim tense at Mike's comment, clearly not liking it!
"What fun would it be to change?" Kelly asked.
Mike had seen his CO enter the area, but he quickly turned to her "none" he walked right up to his CO "morning sir"
"Morning Captain, where's Deputy Assistant Director Tristan?" Morris asked.
"This way sir" Mike replied & led his CO up the stairs.
Kelly shared a smile with him as he headed up & just then the phone rang "Kelly Gibbs" she answered.
Tim watched Kelly as she spoke on the phone, when she hung up "you ok?" he was concerned that she might be trying to internalise some of the angst from getting fined, she seemed so... fine about it.
"Yea, but I've gotta high tail it, emergency with one of my clients, sorry guys" Kelly replied, she had planned on hanging around for a little while longer, but guess that wasn't happening anymore.
"Ahh ok" Tim replied, they'd hardly caught up on what happened "can I give you a lift?" he wanted to speak with her.
"No need, I've got the car" Kelly replied "I'll check in at lunch time with you guys, sooner if I hear anything, but can you walk me to the car?" she smiled at Tim.
Tim felt a little relief "Sure"
Kelly could see Tim wasn't quite himself as they entered the lift, she came up with an idea, reaching forward she flicked the emergency stop "we need to talk"
Tim couldn't help but smile, this was a first, she'd never done her dad's lift trick before "ok?"
"Are you ok?" Kelly asked.
"Surprised you're not more upset at the fine" Tim admitted.
Kelly just smiled "I saw it coming & really, my share is only four thou, so it's pretty acceptable"
"What did you do?" Tim asked, there it was again, a four thousand dollar fine acceptable? His mind boggled at that!
"We don't have time for my full blown blow-by-blow account, but lets just say, I provided them numerous chances to accept the decision to rescind before I shared my true feelings" Kelly finished with a smirk.
"You'll tell me later?" Tim asked.
"Tonight?" Kelly asked but she didn't even wait for answer before continuing "now before I go, are you sure there's nothing else wrong? You're still hung on Mike being here are you?" she asked as wrapped her arms around his neck & smiled.
Tim would have said yes, but staring into her eyes as she looked straight into his soul, he knew there was no real basis for that kind jealousy "No, no jealousy"
Kelly smiled "good" she replied giving him a quick kiss & restarted the lift "you're coming for dinner tonight, no exception, or distractions" she didn't want there to be any cause of jealousy about Mike being there & not him.
Tim smiled "yes ma'am"
A/N: Hmm... me thinks Kelly may still have 'splaining to do! But at least she got Nix off! And he's starting! Dinner should be an interesting affair!
We did however learn something important, those fakers are no longer in the land of the living! What will we learn from demise?
You know I love to hear your thoughts, so review away! More to come