"Have you any idea how much these things cost?"
Her colleague leaned over her shoulder and peered at the screen.
"One hundred and thirty dollars for a dozen? That's steep."
"Wow .." another one said as she arranged the fourth delivery in as many hours into a vase and moved the baby's breath around until she got the effect the wanted. "But they're dyed, not natural. So I guess you'd have to factor that into the price."
"I'll take them in."
The nurse at the computer stood up and reached for them, but her colleague pulled them out of her reach.
"You took in the last lot. I want to see the Senator for myself."
The head nurse chuckled.
"Come on Gracie. It's not the Senator you want to see."
Gracie blushed, and smiled.
"He does have the most amazing blue eyes. And he doesn't have a ring on his finger."
"Maybe he's the Senator's -"
She was interrupted by the rattle of chain clanging on the station.
"Can I help you?" she asked as she looked up and tried not to react to the landscape of body pins in the man's face.
"Abby Sciuto" he said. "Can I see her?"
"I'll check if she's seeing visitors" she said.
"If she's not can you give her this? Tell her Mikey said to have fun and she can give it back to me when she goes home. I just thought she might be bored, you know?"
He thrust a bag into her hand and she was surprised to see embarassment flit over his face when she peered into it. When she looked at him again he lowered his eyes to the ground and he leaned in to whisper what was inside the bag.
"I'll see that she gets it. Why don't you take a seat till I find out."
She made her way into Abby's room. After nodding at Gibbs and Jen she placed the bag on the bed.
"Mikey's outside" she said softly. He brought you this."
Abby peered into the bag and sucked in a breath as she pulled the contents out carefully.
"It's his Lolita doll" she said as she held it up for the others to see.
Jen and Gibbs exchanged a surreptitious look just as Abby sucked in another breath.
"And he put in a whole bunch of outfits too."
"Who's Mikey?" Jen asked as she moved closer to the bed and took the proffered doll.
She turned it over in her hand but looked up when she heard the menace in Gibbs' tone.
"Abs ..."
Abby looked sheepish and hung her head.
"I thought we agreed ..."
"I know Gibbs" Abby whined "but this is so sweet. I don't know how he knows I'm here an -"
She didn't get any further because Gibbs spun on his heel and walked away. As he reached the door he pivoted again, took the doll from Jen, stuffed the clothes back into the bag, and then walked out the door.
She looked up at Jen with tears in her eyes.
"Can you make sure he doesn't hurt him?" she pleaded.
"Who's Mikey?" Jen asked, her eyes still on the door.
"An ex-boyfriend" Abby said. "A pyscho ex-boyfriend. He may have ... um ... tried to hurt me. Please? Make sure Gibbs doesn't hurt him?"
Jen nodded and stepped out into the corridor. But Gibbs and Michael were nowhere to be seen. She walked back into the room slowly and shrugged her shoulders briefly.
A big tear rolled down Abby's face and she slid down the bed.
The sound of the door opening had both women looking over. Abby pushed herself up as Gibbs slipped back into the room.
"You didn't hurt him did you Gibbs?"
"Nope."
"Promise?"
"I saw him off at the stairwell."
"You didn't push him down the stairwell did you?" Jen asked with a small smile.
Gibbs turned to look at her and for a moment something surged between them again. She couldn't possibly know him that well to know that he had considered it, albeit briefly. But the amusement that flickered in the green depths made it very clear that she knew precisely what he'd wanted to do.
"I want Bert" Abby said as she slid back down and hunched up into foetal position.
"Who's Bert?" Jen asked, wondering how many ex-boyfriends Abby could possibly have.
The door opened again at that precise moment and McGee walked in.
"Timmy! You brought Bert!"
Abby smiled incandescently as he placed the stuffed animal in her hands. She pressed him to her chest and beamed when the ppppprrrrrrrrppppppppp she loved so well echoed throughout the room.
Peg walked in.
"Senator ... you have a call fro-"
She stopped dead in her tracks.
"That was the hippo" McGee intervened quickly.
But Peg continued to stare, a blush creeping up along her neck until it engulfed her whole face.
"Peg?" Jen asked.
"S-Senator Modine, ma'am" her aide stuttered as she handed over the phone and beat a hasty retreat.
"Excuse me" Jen said as she took the phone and stepped out into the corridor after her. "Give me a second Jeremiah."
She muffled the phone.
"Peg .. are you alright?"
Her aide leaned back against the wall.
"Do you know who that is?" she asked, indicating Abby's room.
Jen shook her head and Peg looked crestfallen. For a second Jen wondered who the young man might be. Gibbs hadn't been surprised to see him, and considering his conservative clothing she'd assumed he was one of his team. Her peripheral vision caught Peg sneaking a peek into Abby's room, but she didn't have any more time to think about what it might mean, because the Senator was waiting on the line.
"Jeremiah ..." she said after she had taken a deep breath. "I'm sorry about last night. I don't know. I can't promise. Still rather tied up here. But yes ... I promise to try. No, not family."
This gave her pause. She had no reason to hang around here. The doctors had established a few hours before that the person who'd attempted the poisoning hadn't been a professional and had bungled the job. The only reason Abby was still alive. They'd managed to clear everything from her system and she was obviously feeling a lot better. Jen was almost sure that the only reason they hadn't dismissed her yet was because she'd been brought in under her wing. That they were trying to curry favour in some way. But that wouldn't last forever. The crisis was over now, and it suddenly crossed her mind that perhaps she was intruding.
"Yes. Yes, I'm still here. Okay. This evening. Same place, same time? I'll have Peg make the reservation."
She glanced at her aide and saw her aide nod. When she'd rung off, and Peg had reluctantly stepped away to make the necessary arrangements, Jen signalled Melvin over.
"Well?" she said, perfectly aware of the fact that he hadn't missed Peg's little display.
Melvin smiled.
"Thom E. Gemcity."
"Who?"
"The crime writer."
Jen shook her head.
"Never heard of him. Have you?"
Melvin smile broadened.
"Deep Six and Deep Six: Rock Hollow. There was at least one before that too."
Jen peered into the room herself and tried to equate the young man sitting at Abby's bedside with her preconceived notions of what crime writers should look and act like.
"Special agent by day, crime writer by night?" she mused aloud, wondering what Gibbs thought about that. "And Peg likes his books?"
"We all do" Melvin said.
Jen had known that her staff was tight – but this made her smile. For a moment she had a mental image of Peg, Melvin, Stanley, and Rob sitting somewhere talking fiction – perhaps as they drank coffee - and it made her smile. It was good to know they did more together than just keep her life on track.
She was about to step into the room when bustle at the nurse's station caught her eye. Her eyes widened a little when she realised where the group of women were headed, and she stepped aside to let them in. Then she followed them inside.
"Sister Margaretta" Abby exclaimed, pulling the sheets up around her hurriedly.
McGee smiled and gave up his seat to the older nun.
"Abigail" she said as she patted her face. Then she tugged at the sheets and peered inside.
Abby tugged back, embarassed.
"Just as I thought" the nun whispered, leaning close to her. "But don't worry my dear. We've brought you your things."
She put out her hand to the nun standing behind her, and Abby squealed when a nightgown and bell cap were passed along to her.
"It was so sweet of you to come" Abby gushed as she fingered the lace.
"Timothy called us last night" the nun said. "We have been praying for you all night. This morning when he said that he was on his way to bring Bert to you, we called the Bishop. He sent his car over."
"Wow ..."
"He is very grateful for all your help in the last championship. We would never have won if you had not been on our team and the prize money has made a large difference."
"Championship?" Jen queried Gibbs.
His breath tickled her as he lowered his mouth to her ear.
"Uh-huh" he said, a small smile gracing his lips.
"What kindof championship would involve nuns and a goth?" she whispered back.
"Bowling."
Not what she had been expecting – and he enjoyed her reaction. Her eyes lit up when she smiled, he realised. Genuinely lit up. The smile didn't fade as they stood to one side together and watched Abby and McGee interact with the nuns.
They were unconsciously standing a little closer together when a nurse walked into the room twenty minutes later.
"Miss Sciuto – there are quite a few people lined up outside" she said, a look on her face that Jen couldn't quite read.
"Well ..." Sister Margaretta said as she got to her feet. "I think it's time for us to be going."
"How are you getting back to the convent?" McGee asked.
"We will use public transport" she replied.
"I can give you a ride" he said.
"In the Porsche?" one of the younger nuns wanted to know.
"Yes" McGee said, his eyes on the older nun – knowing she had to okay it.
"What kind of a car is a Porsche?" she wanted to know.
McGee told her, and this time it was her eyes that lit up.
"Surely we won't all fit?"
"I can do more than one run."
Sister Margaretta pulled some bobby pins from a pocket after a long silence.
"Very well – as long as I get to go first" she said as she secured her wimple firmly to her head. "Seniority, you know" she said, with a smile at Gibbs and Jen.
She looked at them for a long moment, and then she reached out to Gibbs.
"Bless you my child" she said, as she made the sign of the cross over one of his lapels. "And you too" she said, smiling as Jen leaned forward and offered her forehead for the benediction. The nun's hand found its way to her cheek. "I will pray for you too now."
There was no doubt she knew exactly who Jen was. But there was no time for the Senator to formulate a response because the nun turned her attention back to Gibbs.
"You will take care of Abigail .."
It wasn't a question.
"Always" he replied.
The nun nodded and took McGee's arm. As they left the room together everyone could hear the underlying enthusiasm in her voice.
"So tell me, Timothy, how fast can you make this Porsche go?"
People started to file into the room.
"Yo Abs ... whoa!"
A heavily made up girl was the first to step inside, and she stopped short when she saw Jen standing there.
"This is so cool. You know ... my old man is a great fan. He said he would've voted for the ticket if you'd been on there as veep. But you weren't so .. he didn't vote, but whoa ..." she whirled round and looked at Abby "you've been keeping secrets from me. I didn't know you knew her."
Jen lowered her head and suppressed a smile. She was used to people talking about her when she was in a room – but it didn't usually happen like this. People usually used hushed tones. But there was something about the girliness of this that was endearing, and she looked up to find Gibbs watching her again. And that too made her feel warm inside.
"Senator Shepard?"
The moment was interrupted by a young man of the goth persuasion. He handed her a business card - which Gibbs intercepted. Jen almost rolled her eyes, and took the card from him before he'd had a chance to look it over.
"I don't think it's going to explode" she hissed good-naturedly.
Before she could look at the card though, Peg was in the room mouthing Senator Modine at her as she handed the cell phone over.
"Jeremiah?"
What could he possibly want now. She didn't bother to step away this time.
"No. I haven't changed my mind. Seven o'clock. I'll be there. Okay. Bye. Sorry .." she said, looking at the card the young man had given her.
Her eyebrows rose into her hairline.
"Is this your line of business?" she asked,colour suffusing her cheeks a little.
"Yup. Got Abby hers. Eighteenth century French. You know ... if you ever need one, give me a call."
Jenny cleared her throat.
"Thank you" she said graciously as she slipped the card into her pocket.
"Anytime. Seriously. Just call. Any friend of Abby is a friend of mine" the goth said before he turned towards the bed.
"Does she really have a chastity belt?" Jen asked as she looked up at Gibbs, hoping the blush had receded.
"Yep" he said simply, enjoying seeing her blush as well.
"Is there anything else I should know about her?"
"She sleeps in a coffin."
Someone jostled her just she was about to reply, and she felt him steady her. As her eyes cut to his she saw something in there that again she couldn't quite define. He waited for a moment, his hand still on her. Then he looked at the number of people in the room. It was becoming oppressive.
"Buy you a cup of coffee?" he asked before either one of them could question his motives.
_________________________________________________________
Gibbs watched the stand-off, and while he could appreciate the need for a little space he also understood the position of her detail.
He wasn't much of a fan of politicians but from what he'd seen over the last few hours, this one could be different – which made it all the more important that someone took her security seriously and made sure she stayed safe. He put aside the little flare of something that he absolutely wasn't going to give a name to at the thought of spending some time alone with her, and intervened firmly on Melvin's side.
"We'll sit somewhere defensible," he told Melvin, "and the Senator won't be out of your sight."
The compromise earned him a tight nod from Melvin and an eye roll from Jenny. But he opened the door for her and guided her into the coffee lounge. It was a busy hospital, so of course it wasn't deserted and, of course, her arrival caused a small stir.
Melvin was apparently used to these kinds of occasions and he stayed at Jenny's shoulder while Gibbs concentrated on getting them some dubious looking coffee and watching out of the corner of his eye as she interacted with the medical staff who approached her.
It started with one. A very young Doctor, who came up to her and spoke animatedly to her about the election, her hopes for the future of their country – and then she shook Jenny's hand – after that several other staff members followed her example and it took a while to steer her towards a seat.
He found a table in an out of the way corner, not near any windows but with the only entrance in sight. Melvin took up position; between Jenny and the nearby door, but out of earshot.
Jenny had the distinct impression that the two Federal Agents were ganging up on her – but she didn't call Gibbs on it, relieved to see something other than fear in his eyes.
"How are you holding up?" She asked as she took a sip of coffee and pulled a face when she realised how disgusting it really was.
He shook his head and she knew that he couldn't even find the words to voice his fear and anger. "Thank you for your help," he said at last. "I don't know if I'd have been able to get her here so fast."
She guessed he wasn't a man who thanked others easily, or gave up control of situations. "You'd have got her here," she told him, "Abby's pretty sure you have super powers."
Something like a flash of pain crossed his eyes and she almost reached for his hand again, stopping herself at the last moment – resting her hand on the table top instead.
"She's extraordinary," she said, hoping that the conversation would be enough to pull him back from wherever his mind had gone. "I'm not at all surprised that so many people care about her – though she has some very interesting friends."
"That she does, though I'm pretty sure she has space for a Senator if you're interested."
"I think I'd like that."
Her smile made him wonder how many other people there were in her life who offered unconditional affection the way Abby could when she had taken to someone. She was on a pedestal – albeit a very important one and he got the feeling that she didn't get to be herself all that often. They lapsed into a comfortable silence and though his worry about Abby hadn't receded he couldn't help but be conscious of the place where his hand rested on the table – how easy it would be to move, just a small degree and to touch her. He ached to close that small distance between them and find out what she would do if he touched her.
Tentatively he moved his hand, using his index finger to trail gently over her knuckles, keeping his touch gentle, careful. He watched carefully, seeing the way her fingers twitched at his touch and then she turned her hand over, chasing his fingers with her own, echoing his movements, her fingertips circling over his knuckles, running over his thumb. He didn't dare look at her – or break the mood with anything as clumsy as words.
He knew she was just as focussed on these fledgling caresses and when he risked a look up her bottom lip was caught between her teeth. The single curl of red hair caught in her shirt was just too tempting to resist and with his other hand he reached out to tuck it back behind her ear. At his touch her eyes fluttered shut and she turned her head towards his hand – neither of them really aware that they were in public.
"Senator!"
At the sound of Peg's voice Jenny opened her eyes. She sighed at the inevitable interruption but refused to spring guiltily away – as though she was doing something wrong. Instead she slowly withdrew her hand from his, seeing what looked like a flash of disappointment in his expression. As Peg hurried over towards them she flicked a glance towards Melvin and found that he was carefully not watching at them.
"Senator," Peg leant towards her and murmured in her ear, "it's the transition team. They've already phoned twice, and they're holding for you now."
Jen looked at the cell phone for a moment and then reached out and took it from her aide. As the conversation unfolded she stood and took a few steps away from the table. Glancing over her shoulder she saw that Jethro was carefully not looking in her direction, or listening to her. But the message was clear – she was needed elsewhere and this wasn't the type of request that she could refuse.
"I'll be there as soon as I can," she said and then snapped the phone shut.
Peg was practically bouncing up and down with excitement but Jen held her hand up, silencing her before she could start rattling off the arrangements.
"I have to go," she said to Gibbs, "I'm sorry – but this .. can't wait."
"Of course," he looked up and was surprised that she looked so torn. Surely this was it – the offer that the press had been speculating about since the election? "If there's any change in her condition I'll let you know."
"Thank you." She glanced over at her aide, "can you make sure Agent Gibbs has all my contact details – and yes, I will need a change of clothes." She paused for a moment longer and he was sure she wanted to say something else. But evidently she changed her mind because gathering her staff with a single look she strode from the room.
Her voice drifted back to him as he saw her draw Melvin to her side.
"There are a couple of things I need you to have Stanley do while I'm in my meeting"
He didn't move immediately, wasn't ready to go back to the hospital room yet. Her presence had filled the lounge and now that she was gone everything seemed smaller, dimmer somehow. But as he sat there the reality of the situation crashed over him. If he was any judge, that phone call meant she was just about to be offered a very significant role in the new administration. Not only was she a politician, she was a powerful and influential one.
Just the thought of spending more time with her was a mile outside his comfort zone. Which did nothing to change the fact that spending time with her was exactly what he wanted to do.