The last leg of the journey - it's been a while, hasn't it? I'd like to every one who read and enjoyed, and who reviewed. I don't often reply to reviews, but you should know I greatly appreciate them. Thanks! ;)
(Uploaded again to fix a little mistake. Thanks alix33!)
The silence persisted throughout the tense car ride, into the building, right through to the moment when Gibbs called a team meeting in the bullpen. Abby ran without a sound to Kate, throwing herself on her, and Ducky sidled up next to Tony, giving him a wink and a pat. Gibbs cleared his throat, and stood, eyes downcast. He looked his team over through hooded eyes. His battered, bent, bloody team. But battered, bent and bloody as they may be, they weren't broken. They hadn't been beaten, and they wouldn't be. There was a strength in his team, in every one of them, on field or off, that couldn't be shot down. And together they were so much more. He remembered his rookie days. When the teams had been massive, complicated, and corrupt. When he had had to watch his back the whole time. When he felt like he was in the old NIS again, having to use tactics in his own workplace. There had been no justice done there. No case ever solved by the truth- only by who could pay more. And he had set out, old and bitter and twisted, to make a place where that didn't happen. To create and bring together a team that was a team, that was a family. And then he found that it got out of control. He discovered that when you created something as full of life as this, it started to come alive on its own. To walk and talk on its own. To go out to parties and smoke drugs. And having to watch these young innocents that he had brought and put into this situation go and make the same mistakes he did, that was hard. It was harder than throwing yourself in front if a bullet, to face down men who wanted you dead. He did those things every day without a qualm. He had done that all his life. But to have someone take Kate from his sight, to hide her away and threaten to harm her- that had been more indescribably painful than anything he had done for a long time. To have Tony move from the safe place he had put him, to see him with a gun held to his head- that had shaken his foundations. Because for so long his team had just been a team. Just a machine grinding away, dusting off facts under his direction. And now he had to face that in creating this team, he had made a family. And a family was the one thing he had been avoiding most of his life. This was a group of people who cared for each other- who had bonds stronger than blood. They were prepared to put their lives on the line to help each other, to face down any odds to see each other safe. He knew that he would do that for any of them, but the thought that they would do it for one another, do it for him… it was a huge responsibility. To care that much for another human being was dangerous, let alone feel that for five of them. He had the choice in his hands now, of taking this team to the next level, to let them become what he knew they had the potential to become. Or he could put this to a stop now- pull out before he got hurt this badly again. He made his decision.
"Abs, did the FBI send round the case?"
"Yes sir, indeed they did sir!" She exclaimed. "The Jake kid told them where it was and they brought it straight over. I haven't opened it yet- I was gonna save it for a big unveiling kinda thing." Kate smiled wanly, and Tony asked tiredly,
"Can we just get it open and done with. I'm tired."
Gibbs and Abby went down stairs to retrieve the case, and Kate and Tony stood in awkward silence next to each other. Ducky and McGee tactfully moved away, seeing that something bigger was going on.
"So."
"So."
"That was… good timing, DiNozzo."
"Yeah." He reached a hand out as if to pull her close, but dragged it back at the last moment. Kate sighed.
Abby was carrying the case in gloved hands, talking to Gibbs. "It really quite heavy, you know. And something keeps rattling around in it." All attention was focused on Gibbs' desk where Abby laid the case reverentially. Gibbs snapped on gloves and flicked the latches back. The team waited while he slowly lifted the lid. When the contents came into sight, reactions were mixed. Kate jumped back, landing squarely on Tony's chest, and he brought his arms up around her instinctively. Abby flung herself away, face hidden in her hands. McGee placed a hand over his mouth, and Ducky leaned in with interest. Gibbs' hands holding the lid did not quiver.
"Duck?" He asked.
"Very interesting," Ducky began.
"Glad someone thinks so." McGee muttered, his words muffled by his hand. Kate and Tony leaned in, interested in spite of themselves. Abby was still facing the other way, motionless.
"They have been severed after death, no doubt about that. And with a ragged blade. See here, the flesh is torn to shreds." He pointed knowingly. "These, however, have been made a very poor job of." Kate silently handed Ducky some gloves, and he pulled them on, still talking. "Very unprofessionally done- I doubt that our butcher knew anything about how to remove eyes. But they were removed after death too."
"Why would anyone cut off people's hands?" Abby cried in disgust.
"And eyes," Tony reminded her. He and Kate slowly extricated themselves from each other, embarrassed.
"McGee."
"Yes boss?"
"Reasons for hands and eyes being removed after death." He was poking around in the blood- spattered plastic lining.
"Uh… gah…"
"To confirm a kill?" Kate suggested. Gibbs held up a photo and a sealed envelope. 'GREGSON' was scrawled across the front.
"Tony, get some light in here." Toy switched on the desk light, and Gibbs studied the photo. Abby had crept around behind and was leaning on McGee, peering over his shoulder. "Oh, gross! Are those his?"
The photo was of a murdered man, gun shot to the head, execution style. "Oh, very probably," Said Ducky. "The eyes are the same colour, and the hands have some similarities."
Gibbs had silently opened the letter and was reading it, holding it at arms reach.
"What is it boss?"
"A hit job."
"Ethan?" Kate asked, knowing the answer already, and feeling the implications crashing down on her.
Gibbs nodded. "Hired by Gregson." McGee moved to his computer and in moments had his file up on the plasma. "Richard Gregson, Ring leader of several gangs… blah blah blah… here we are… previously charged with hiring and employing hit men."
"And there is all the evidence we need to bring them in." Said Tony, relieved. Ducky collected up the various body parts.
"I shall attempt to discover who our unfortunate is upon the morrow."
"And I expect to see you all here tomorrow morning for full reports, ok?" Gibbs said. Tony nodded wearily and looked around for Kate. He heard the lift doors shut, and made for the stairs with a purpose.
--------------------
He found her leaning against the wall of the rooftop balcony, looking out over the city.
"What's the matter Kate?"
"Nothing."
"That's a lie."
"Really?"
"Yup. I know what you want."
"You only think you know what I want DiNozzo."
"No, lemme tell you what you want. You want stability and calm. You want some one to hold your hand when horrible things happen. Sometimes you want the rest of the world to go away except you and your teddy. Hup- don't interrupt. You want a friend who says exactly the right things at exactly the right time. And sometimes you don't want them to say anything. You want it to all be easy- we all do. But you want to make it all work. You want to be able to make the world a better place- to make it right. I said don't interrupt. You want lots of things, but let me guess what you want right now… do you want some company?"
"…Yes."
"Do you want to watch a movie?"
"…Yes."
"Do you want Chinese take out?"
"…Yes."
"At my place?"
"……Yes."
He grinned. "Do you want a hug?"
"… Maybe."
"Do you want that friend who says the right things now?"
Her voice was muffled by his chest. "Yes."
"… Do you want some really good sex?"
"No."
"Really really good sex?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
You've been a wonderful audience:)