NCIS

Don't Push but Don't Hesitate

Chapter 6

Midnight Bottle

It was after midnight when the young doctor finally made it home after the lengthy international flight from Paris to Washington DC. The time away was therapeutic after her engagement was broken off but she looked forward to coming home to a roommate. Having Samantha under the same roof again would help take her mind off the negative. When the doctor reached her apartment with her luggage she found a note on the door in Samantha's writing.

'Welcome home,

I am lucky to have such a kind soul as my best friend. Thank you for everything you have done and what you continue to do for me. I hope you had a safe flight back and enjoyed your time with your father. I'll talk to you in the morning.

-Love,

Samantha

P.S. Don't be alarmed if you come across a four legged creature. George is in my custody again, I'll explain later.'

As expected, thanks to the considerate note, George was on the other side of the door waiting to find out if the intrusion was a friend or foe. At the scent of the familiar human George began rapidly wagging his tail. The doctor remained quiet as she carried her luggage inside knowing her roommate was asleep. Due to the time difference in Paris the doctor was wide awake. Even still the screams of terror that came from Samantha's bedroom were alarming.

The rain was heavy and the thunder deafening. Lightning strikes lit up the entire night sky in a way that would frighten small children. As she stood in the basement of her most trusted confidant she felt as though the lightning had struck her heart in the worst way.

"Steven is cheating on me?" The thought alone was painful enough, saying the words aloud left a bad taste in her mouth.

"I wish I could tell you otherwise." As the words were spoken she was handed a glass of bourbon.

"Kate doesn't know he's married?" When she took a sip after asking, the amber liquid quite literally took her breath away.

"If she did I can guarantee she would not be wasting her time with him." It was an honest statement which she could see from the look in his eyes.

"Why didn't you say something?!" The question was directed at the second man who was present.

"Steven led me to believe you were separated." The Italian replied with an innocent expression and a shrug.

"You should have called me!" She insisted as she slammed the glass of bourbon onto the workspace beside her to emphasize her anger.

"I tried but you wouldn't take any of my calls!" Tony replied defensively. "I thought that was because I brought you together." He added.

There was no stopping the tears from falling now despite wanting to avoid showing any weakness.

"I've been trying to find the courage to leave him for months… I think I've finally found it."

George made it to the bedroom ahead of the doctor, once there he jumped onto the bed and lay beside Samantha as she thrashed about in a cold sweat. The doctor made several gentle attempts to wake her roommate but each of them turned out to be useless.

The roads were slick from the ongoing storm which also caused a lack in visual clarity. All of this did not keep her from using the accelerator to excess. Samantha couldn't get home fast enough to demand a divorce from Steven. Apparently their marriage meant nothing to him if he was willing to cheat. Abusing her was horrible enough but she was willing to see it through, this was where she drew the line.

In a fraction of the normal commute from Jethro's she made it home which was hardly a triumph considering she could have caused a fatal collision. After parking the Ferrari in the spacious garage Samantha rushed into the house in a blind fury. Later she would regret leaving George with Jethro for the night.

Fortunately Steven was in the shower when she made it upstairs to the master suite. Samantha took that opportunity to gather anything she could carry of his belongings. From there she crossed the room to the terrace where she hurled everything in her arms onto the rain soaked front lawn. It took a couple of trips but almost everything was on the ground by the time the bathroom door opened and Steven emerged in time to catch her tossing out the last of his suits.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Steven demanded, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.

"Did you think I wouldn't find out?!" Samantha hollered in return, drenched from her time outside.

Steven had the good sense not to pretend he didn't know what she was talking about.

"It is bad enough you put your hands on me when you're drunk but I will not stand by while you cheat on me!"

"Seriously, you can say that to me when you smell like sawdust all the damn time?"

Samantha rolled her eyes in frustration. It was tiresome to have to hear this accusation again. "I've told you I am not sleeping with Jethro but it doesn't matter anymore...I want a divorce."

The swing he took was unexpected considering his usual pattern of assault followed excessive drinking in the past. Samantha barely had time to react before taking another blow. Steven shouted profanities as he continued to overpower her.

As always Samantha tried to fight him off but he was stronger and one step ahead not to mention sober this time. It escalated to the point of no return when Steven pinned her to the bed and further violated her trust, tearing her clothes in the process. It was terrifying to learn the man she loved was capable of such horrendous behavior. The destruction unfortunately did not end in the bedroom. Steven dragged her by her hair into the hall where he kicked her already weakened form down the grand staircase. Despite her attempts to catch herself Samantha tumbled to the bottom like a ragdoll.

Steven, who had somehow managed to find the time to put on a pair of boxer briefs to wear, descended the steps with purpose. When there were only a few feet between him and Samantha who was now immobile, the front door swung open with a crash and a soaking wet DiNozzo entered the premises with his gun raised and aimed at his best friend.

It was as though she was watching an exorcism with the way Samantha was reacting to the vivid nightmare she was having. The doctor stayed close by, waiting for her roommate to awaken. Fortunately, for the sake of the neighbors, the screams had reduced to whimpers. Eventually the agent opened her eyes and when she did she found the doctor holding her hand and stroking her hair to comfort her.

"Jeanne, when did you get home?" Samantha asked as she sat up slowly, when she did her injury became clear.

"Just now actually, what the hell happened to your eye?"

"Let's just say a colleague of mine gave me the welcome back I deserved." Samantha replied sheepishly.

The doctor nodded and fell silent as she moved Samantha's hair out of the way to check the sutures. Impressed by work she lowered her hand.

"How are you feeling?" Jeanne asked with concern.

Samantha knew better than to try and convince Jeanne that she was fine but she didn't want to admit that she was still emotionally scarred.

"I'm just having a rough night, it's been a long day but when I close my eyes my past comes back to haunt me." Samantha admitted with a sigh.

"What about your prescription, doesn't it help with that?"

"It's not worth the side effects." Samantha replied with a dismissive shrug.

Jeanne frowned but on some level she understood what Samantha was telling her and she accepted the answer she was given.

"Can I get you anything?"

Samantha shook her head. "No thanks, I'm just going to try to get back to sleep."

"Okay, if you change your mind I'll probably be up for a while, I'm still on Paris time."

"I'll give you a shout if I do." Sam smiled weakly.

Jeanne nodded and after exchanging good night wishes with Sam she left the room, closing the door behind her.

Samantha lay back down with George still at her side. Instead of going back to sleep however she shed tears into her pillow but they were not from sadness or fear, or even betrayal. They were tears of relief that she no longer had a particular burden to carry.

The basement was often a confessional for the members of the team or anyone who knew Jethro for that matter. This time it was Tony DiNozzo seeking to share what was on his mind with the most influential person in his life and he was not empty handed.

After leaving Samantha's Tony made a pit stop at the liquor store and purchased a bottle of Gibbs' bourbon. When he entered the house with the bottle not long after, he found Gibbs exactly where he thought he would. Suddenly the idea of asking permission to pursue a colleague seemed like a terrible idea.

"What's the occasion DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked when Tony presented the team leader with his gift.

"I thought a celebratory toast to Sam's freedom was in order. Just hand delivered the papers myself. Our girl is officially single again."

Jethro assessed the bottle of bourbon in his hands before sizing up the Italian.

"If we're honoring Samantha shouldn't she be present?"

"I hadn't thought of that." Tony lied.

"Y'know what I think DiNozzo, I think Sam is going to need a lot of time to recover. Despite what was done to her she loved that bastard. If she even wanted to date again you can be damn sure I wouldn't allow rule twelve to be broken." Gibbs glared as he spoke to his agent.

Tony placed his hands in his pockets and shrugged.

"Do your rules only apply when someone else shows interest and you don't approve?"

"Excuse me?"

"I know you kissed her Boss, I'm more observant than you give me credit for. If you don't want me asking her out I get it but don't throw rules around that you can't even be bothered to follow on your own." Tony elaborated.

Gibbs was actually rendered speechless but only momentarily. After placing the bourbon onto his workspace he stepped up to his subordinate until they were practically nose to nose in an effort to intimidate the younger man.

"Get something straight DiNozzo, if you don't watch your step I will reverse Samantha's reinstatement." The team leader challenged.

Tony stared back at his boss with jealousy coursing through his veins then it occurred to him that Gibbs was probably bluffing.

"No you won't, having Samantha close is exactly what you wanted, you're not about to let her get away again." Tony replied.

They both knew deep down that he was right.

The next morning Samantha woke from a dreamless slumber. It was early and the sun was beginning to rise. The agent had a couple of hours to kill before work and made the decision to go for a run with her four legged sidekick. Jeanne left a kind note that she not be disturbed while she recovered from jet lag otherwise Samantha would have invited her along. Instead the agent wrote a note in response suggesting that they have a much needed Girls' night out over the weekend.

As Samantha ran through the park near her place with George trotting along beside her, she found herself thinking about how refreshing it was to wake up a single woman. There was a time when she loved Steven and part of her always would and although divorce was never an option for her at the time she was relieved to be on her own again.

For most women divorce was considered an inevitable return to awkward first dates and potential trust issues with future significant others. For Samantha it was a chance to rediscover her passions and be the best version of herself she could possibly be.

The agent firmly believed in loving oneself before being successful at having a relationship. Steven had lacked that self-worth from the start and she mistakenly thought she could save him. Now she would have an opportunity to focus on herself and her career which did not feel selfish.

Five miles of clarity later Samantha walked home with George where she fed him and showered then dressed for work. The agent brewed a pot of coffee and filled her travel mug, leaving plenty behind for Jeanne. Thanks to DiNozzo, Samantha had her Ferrari back which meant she wouldn't have to rely on public transport during the morning commute. In addition to that, George would be able to join her at the office.

The night she left he tossed and turned on the couch wanting to take back the harsh words but even if he did he wasn't sure they could make it work. Sometime during the night Samantha left the house while he pretended to be asleep. It was during that time she went to the office where she cleaned out her desk. Later he learned that she had requested an immediate transfer earlier that same morning. Director Morrow presented her instead with the opportunity to lead her own team on foreign soil.

From the point forward he only received updates through DiNozzo which was how he learned that Samantha was getting married to the Italian's frat brother who she had dated in college. It wasn't until after her first anniversary when he finally saw her again. In his basement she visited him and announced she was returning state side but that was not all she had to share.

When she declined a drink he knew without having to hear another word what she was there to tell him. There was a look in her eye that he had seen before, once with her sister and again with her during their time together.

Then he asked her what she should have expected to hear. Where was the baby she carried for her brother?

In the time after they called off their engagement he had searched for the child they should have been parenting together and found nothing. When Samantha assured hi m the child was safe he told her that wasn't good enough. It was out of his hands though, he knew he never had a say in the matter.

They saw a lot more of each other after her return to the states but never the way he wanted to be seeing her. Gradually her body began to change as she transitioned through each trimester seamlessly. As the due date for her twins came closer she asked if he would be their Godfather.

The opportunity made his heart swell but he declined and though she made efforts to hide it he knew it hurt her. From his perspective it felt inappropriate to take the role given their prior relationship. Although he loathed the fact that he wasn't the source she seemed happy and that was all he ever wanted for the only woman he loved wholeheartedly since Shannon. Unfortunately the happiness wasn't everlasting.

Samantha made it to full term with the twins but she wouldn't have the chance to raise them. Somehow she made it through the loss but her marriage didn't and Jethro noticed.

The team leader woke in the early hours of the morning with his mind still playing images of the past like a film reel. If he had fought for her, the catastrophic relationship she had afterward might have never happened. It was useless to dwell on such thoughts but it wasn't in his nature to forget what could have been in the midst of keeping sights on what is.

Going through the motions at this point Gibbs rose and prepared for the day ahead. They would all be in for quite the surprise when they arrived.

Samantha was the first of the team to enter the bullpen escorted by George. The agent laid out a blanket beside her desk for the pooch between Gibbs' space and her own. It was not unusual for the dog to accompany her to work but it had been awhile. Samantha left George unattended to fill his water bowl in the bathroom and by the time she returned Gibbs was crouched down in the middle of the team's workspace greeting the dog with a smile.

For a moment she stood by the bathroom door watching Jethro, he certainly had a way with animals…not to mention children. Samantha moved forward with the bowl of water and smiled.

"Good morning."

Jethro looked up from his position on the floor and gave a single nod.

"Good morning."

As Samantha bent forward to place the bowl on the floor Gibbs allowed himself a quick glance. Fortunately he looked away just in time to avoid being caught.

Samantha leaned against the front of her desk, crossing her legs at the ankle. Meanwhile Jethro straightened to his full height. The former partners locked eyes with one another, each knowing they had plenty to discuss but this was hardly the time or the place. The awkward silence was brief however, broken by Jenny's sudden appearance at the top of the stairs. Samantha glanced upward at the redhead whom she noticed from the corner of her eye. Gibbs followed Samantha's gaze.