Disclaimer : You'll have to re-read Chapter 1 for it.
Chapter 5
Just outside of Autopsy, Roxane paused. Her usually confident step faltered. Ziva looked back.
"Hey, you okay?" She asked, concern etched across her face.
"If I said yes, would you believe me?" Roxane replied. "You know how I deal with…this."
Ziva smiled softly, remembering. "Yes, yes I do."
"I'm going to say something silly in there, you know it."
Gibbs frowned. He had remained silent in the elevator ride, listening to the two female friends exchange idle small talk.
"It's how you deal with it, my friend."
Roxane sighed. "Yeah, but if I start to laugh or make some crude reference to flushing ashes down a toilet…"
"I'll smack the back of your head." Gibbs offered.
Roxane turned to look at him, smiling in thanks.
"Why, Special Agent Gibbs…you care. And all that talk about you being cold and unfeeling…Ziva…how could you mislead me?" Roxane practically cooed.
Gibbs stared at Ziva. "We'll talk later."
The former Mossad agent shot a look at her friend promising retribution.
"Let's get this over with." Gibbs announced, pushing open the doors to Autopsy.
Ducky looked up from his paperwork to see his visitors, a friendly smile crossing his face for the newcomer.
"A beautiful angel has graced me with her presence."
"Roxane Jamieson, I'd like you to meet Dr. Mallard." Ziva introduced her friend.
Roxane extended her hand. "A pleasure, Doctor."
His eyes lit up behind his glasses. "It's so nice to meet a friend of Ziva's, Miss Jamieson."
A set of blonde and dark eyebrows raised in question.
"Word travels fast in this building…and please call me Ducky."
"Why, thank you…but only if you call me Roxane."
"Ducky…" Gibbs voice threatened softly.
"Ah, right…yes…identification of our young man. Tell me, Roxane…have you ever identified a body before…"
Roxane stopped. Her gaze became distant as she recalled a past life…or what she desperately wished was a past life. Those bodies. The blood. The sounds of cell phones ringing as loved ones called, trying to reach those who would never answer again.
"Roxane…" Ziva touched the arm of her friend. "It's over…it was a long time ago."
"You're wrong, Ziva. It won't ever be over." Roxane refocused on the doctor. "Yes, Ducky, I have identified a body before. Let's get this over with."
Gibbs tensed at the sound of his own words coming out of her mouth, so emotionless. He made a mental note to find out about the relationship between these two women later.
Ducky walked over to a metal gurney and gently pulled down the sheet to reveal the head and upper body of the dead man.
"It's Jason." Roxane said softly. "It's Captain Reed."
Roxane pivoted on her heels and marched out of Autopsy. Ziva looked at Gibbs before running after her.
"Now what, Jethro?" Ducky asked his friend, while his eyes watched the women through the Autopsy doors.
"We catch the bastard that did this." Gibbs said simply and with that, he turned to meet up with the women.