Callie looked at the bottle sitting beside her. It wasn't nearly empty enough for the retelling of these particular chapters of her life. She reached for a drink but was stopped by Tony's voice.
"Too neat, Harris. What aren't you saying now?"
Callie cut him a sideways glance, "Why should there be more?"
"No, Tony's right. What else happened, Callie? He didn't stop at that. Most abusers don't." Gibbs pushed.
She put the bottle back down and ran a hand over her face. "I would hear from Karl occasionally that my father had manhandled Leesa; nothing as severe as when I left for boot camp but enough to leave marks. Until shortly before we left Spain, when I got a phone call from Karl that my father had put her in intensive care this time. And," Callie paused, drawing a deep breath, "he broke Kyle's arm."
Gibbs leaned in, "How long before we left Spain?"
Callie refused to answer, knowing that her boss was not going to be happy.
Tapping her in the back of the head, Gibbs asked the question again.
"Two days." She finally replied.
"Damn it, Callie. Why didn't you say something? If not to me, then at the very least, to Jenny? I thought you trusted us?"
Harris sat up and, for the first time, turned to face Gibbs direct. "I did trust you. Both of you. But neither of you EVER discussed family or personal issues. And, I had just put on this very spectacular show for the two of you and the rest of the team. I was still smarting from all of that. So you really think I was going to admit I had problems that I couldn't handle?"
Gibbs shook his head as Callie continued her rant, "So, when we landed in Washington I made sure I was free to leave."
"Jen and I laughed at how you asked for permission," he smiled at the memory.
"I was only two years out of the Navy and had just served almost two years for a former Marine. No way was I just going to leave without being dismissed. The military frowns upon such actions."
"You never went home. Boarded the plane straight for Houston?" Gibbs accused.
Callie nodded, "And when I landed went straight to his office. The secretary didn't even know he had an older daughter. I just flashed my badge and showed my gun and she waved me right on past. I kicked open his door and marched straight up to his desk with my weapon drawn. Never seen that look on Calvin Harris' face; guess he wasn't sure what I was going to do. But I knew. I pointed my service revolver straight at his head and told him."
As if reliving it in her mind, Harris' whole body tensed as she retold the memory of what happened next. "If you ever lay another finger on Leesa, Kyle or Kayla I will have every Federal Agency known to man down on you so fast it will make your head swim. And I guarantee that they won't stop until your precious company is completely dismantled and your ass is behind bars. And it won't be some cushy camp cupcake. I will personally insure that you're incarcerated with the worst of the worse. And if you don't believe me, my…"
Harris' head jerked up and looked directly at Gibbs. Her whole expression had changed from self-assured cockiness to instant uncertainty and fear. She gasped at the thought of what she had to say.
Jethro reached out a hand to stay her. Callie had the look of a child with her hand caught in the cookie jar. "Finish it, Harris." He said simply.
The tears that had been hovering since the funeral slowly started to leak as she answered, "I told him my boss was a former Marine with ties all the way to the Secretary of the Navy. And I promise he can get it done."
Gibbs pulled Callie up from the ground and into a crushing hug. He looked over her head to Tony who sat smiling on the ground. It was DiNozzo who said, "Even after only two years you knew who had your back."
Callie snuffled into Gibbs' shoulder, "I'm so sorry, L.J. I didn't mean to use you as a threat. I just…I"
Gibbs pushed her back, "I just wish you had said something. Then, it wouldn't have been a threat. It would have been real because I would have been standing there to back you up."
"How about I just shoot him now?" Tony asked, standing up and walking towards the bench.
Callie laughed, wiping tears, "It wouldn't make much of an impression on him now."
"Yeah, but it would make me feel a hell of a lot better." He answered.
She shook her head, "No, better not. Even in Texas we have laws about desecrating corpses and I really don't want to add a run in with the local sheriff to the goings on of this weekend."
"One of these days you'll understand that you don't have to fight these battles by yourself," Gibbs admonished.
Callie just nodded. "I know. I just couldn't bring myself to tell you then anymore than I could bring myself to tell you now."
"Tell me what now?" Gibbs knew she had let that statement slip.
Callie blanched, "I mean I…" The fatigue and the alcohol on an empty stomach had made her sloppy.
"Why did you really come to Houston? What body blows are you still taking for the family, Callie?" Gibbs pinned her with that infamous glare.
"Leesa?"
Gibbs nodded at Callie's question. "Yeah. Something she said."
"My father's will." She answered. "He made it a requirement that his family, ALL of his family, be here for his services or his estate would be given to charity." On a sigh, Callie continued, "Don't get me wrong, I could care less about Caroline but Leesa and the kids shouldn't have to suffer the fallout of a battle of wills between my father and me."
"So, I'm guessing your threats worked?" Tony changed the subject.
Harris nodded, "Yeah. He never touched her or the kids again. I always figured that's why he had the penthouse added to the business. That way, he could do whatever he wanted and never have to go home or have anyone get in his way. Made it more convenient for any affairs, too."
"And you never saw him again?" Tony continued.
"No. When I came here from Spain, I had about ten days before I had to report back to the Navy Yard. I stayed here the whole time to make sure Leesa and Kyle were okay and to spend a little time with Kayla. He never showed up and I flew back into DC on a red eye and then straight into the office that morning. In twenty years, the first time I've laid eyes on him since that day was in the casket this afternoon."
DiNozzo continued to press, "And you hadn't spoken to him, either?"
Again, Harris answered negatively, "Only correspondence was through my attorney and Blevins."
Gibbs stood up from the bench, pulling Callie with him. She stumbled slightly, the fatigue and stress finally taking a toll. Taking one look at the freshly turned earth, he spoke softly to the agent, "It's buried with him, Harris. You're done."
Callie wanted to agree but she knew she couldn't, "Not yet it's not. He's got one more card up his sleeve but he saving that for Monday."
Gibbs wanted to question her more but the slight tremble in her hands made him stop. "Let's get back to the apartment. You need something to eat."
Callie didn't argue as she let Tony and Gibbs lead her back to Karl and the waiting limo. With a brief nod at Gibbs, he opened the door and let the agents crawl into the back and then he headed back to the apartment.
It was several hours later and Tony was letting himself quietly out of the master bedroom. He joined a waiting Gibbs in the living room, taking the offered beer as he sat down.
"She asleep?" Jethro asked.
Taking a long drink, Tony answered, "Finally. But, she's tossing and turning so I don't know how much rest she's really going to get."
"I wish I had known." Gibbs commented rhetorically.
Tony just shrugged, "Not her way. Guess that's why she and I see eye to eye so easily. I understand where she's coming from. I mean, don't get me wrong, my father never physically abused me," Tony corrected, "but he definitely neglected me. Made me feel like nothing was ever as important as the business. He did me a favor, disowning me. Not like Cal's dad."
"What do you mean?" Jethro encouraged.
"Calvin Harris didn't disown Callie. He made it quite clear that everything was available and abundant and made sure it was dangled just out of Callie's reach."
"Unlike you where you knew you couldn't have it," Gibbs clarified.
"He wanted her to crawl back…beg. And, then he would have thrown it back in her face and told her no." Tony shook his head.
"I'm curious as to what she thinks is going to happen Monday," Gibbs added.
"Don't know but I think you can probably get more out of her now. She knows we're both here to watch her back."
"Maybe, just maybe, she finally realizes she's not alone," Gibbs replied.
Tony smiled, "Just takes some of us longer than others, Boss."
Gibbs smiled back. He knew DiNozzo included himself in that statement. Looking at his watch, Jethro realized that they'd be in for another match with the family tomorrow. Saying as much to Tony, he indicated he was turning in for the night.
"Alright, Boss, see you in the morning." Tony added following him towards the bedrooms and turning in for the night as well.