Thermal

They wait for the paramedics to take Mr. Malcolm Beckinsale to the hospital, and Tony and Ziva go with him, keeping him in custody while the doctors patch him up.

His wounds are painful, but not life-threatening, so he's released into the agents' custody to be taken to the regional office. Gibbs, of course, has the honor and the pleasure of grilling the man, who folds under his stare and confesses his role in the transport of the drugs, giving names, places and people involved. He insists that his wife knew nothing about it, and Gibbs says that, given the circumstances, they wouldn't arrest her until they found proof connecting her with the drug trafficking.

Joy takes Jake to the hospital, along with little Rick, who simply refuses to leave his hero's side. After much moaning and complaining, the doctors inform them that Jake, despite the black and blue bruises, was a very lucky lad, as he was just sore, and should stay at home for at least two days until his bruises did not make him look like a raccoon any longer.

Joy takes both kids back to the Norfolk office, and she's not surprised to see Lannie arriving with her baby in her arms, wanting an explanation of the message she had left earlier.

"It was Mr. Beckinsale, Lannie," says Joy, guiding her to one of the waiting rooms.

"Malcolm? How? Why? Why would he want to kill my husband?" Lannie hugs her baby tighter, and one hand goes to bring Rick closer to her, as he was hugging her by her waist, "What could he possibly be thinking?"

"Do you remember the episode you mentioned to us," says McGee, approaching the widow, "when Lawrence, as soon as the new uniforms arrived, did not let you wash it and took it away, never giving you an explanation about it?"

"Yes, but," she is still confused, "my husband was murdered for not returning our boy's uniform? It doesn't make sense!" She looks at the agents, silently begging them to receive a rational explanation for something that is not rational at all. Why would someone kill her husband? Why?

Joy glances at Tim, who silently guides the confused widow to one of conference rooms, and explained that her husband had stumbled upon Mr. Beckinsale's lab, and had become curious about the uniforms. He took the uniform to test his theory, but he had never had the chance of exposing Malcolm's crimes as he was murdered shortly thereafter.

While McGee spoke with the widow, Gibbs leaves the interrogation room with the cuffed suspect, and hands him to the marines to book him. Gibbs looks up the corridor, towards the waiting rooms of the Norfolk office, and sees Joy silently watching him. She smiles a tiny smile, and walks back to the waiting room where Jake is sitting forlorn, nursing his bruises.

She sits beside her nephew, and sighs, closing her eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry," she says to Jake.

He turns his head to look at her, and frowns, and grimaces as it hurts to move his facial muscles, "Why?"

She looks at him, and sits closer to him, throwing an arm over his gangly shoulders and pulling him against her side. He resists a little, until she lifts her right eyebrow, as if asking 'duh, so what, you don't want a hug?'. He smiles a little, and burrows into her hug.

Joy murmurs against his hair, "It was supposed just to be a simple assignment, just look out for bullies," she leans back, and studies his bruised face, "I've never wanted you to have to face crazy sociopaths, that's my job, not yours."

Jake smiles at his aunt, "but I did that," he shrugs, "there were some stupid kids who were trying to mess with Rick, then me and my buddies, we stopped them." Joy smiles, proud of her nephew, "We also invited him over to hang out during our band practice, and I offered to teach him how to play acoustic guitar."

"That's nice, Jake," she rubs her nephew's arm, "I'm proud of you."

"Wanna know something that I was thinking about lately?" Jake frowns, and his eyes get a faraway look, "I think, doing this, made me realize," he looks at Joy, "if something happened to my dad or my mom, I would want to have someone watching over me, someone to watch my back."

Joy shakes her head, resolute, "if something happened either to John or Lisa, you would never be left alone," Jake looks at his aunt, "we would always be there for you Jake. Always."

They hear loud voices coming up the corridor, and finally Lisa arrives to the door of their room, guided by a harassed DiNozzo, "WHERE IS MY BOY?"

Joy looks down at Jake, and rolls her eyes and stands up and takes a step back, as Lisa marches into the room and latches on to Jake, moaning at his wounds and hovering like the mother hen she is.

Joy just watches the interplay silently, and bears the angry glares of her sister-in-law silently. After checking his wounds and having her hands batted away by Jake, she turns to Joy and hisses, "you've never mentioned he might get hurt!"

Gibbs enters the waiting room, along with Matthew, Ziva and Tony, who are watching the two Buchanan women clash.

"I'm sorry, Lisa, I've never wanted this to happen," says Joy, but what Lisa does not have in height she has in fury, "I've opened my home, I've welcomed you, and you put my baby, my son, in danger, how could you?"

"Mom!" moans Jake, blushing, but Gibbs decides to stop the escalating argument.

"Mrs. Buchanan," Lisa looks at him, still furious, and Gibbs has to congratulate Johnny, he has chosen a woman after his own heart, and she is a glorious redhead, "your son was great today," Jake blushes under the praise, and Lisa starts to calm down, "without his assistance, the suspect would have gotten away and a very important witness would have been kidnapped."

Lisa glares at Gibbs, then looks down at Jake, "Is this true, Jake?" The teenager just shrugs, embarrassed.

Ziva enters the conversation, "Indeed, he was instrumental in the apprehension of our suspect, and the rescue of our witness. If, some day in the future, he decides to make a career in law enforcement, he would be a great federal agent."

"Really?" Lisa glances at Joy, who is smiling at her team-mates, "Yes, ma'am, he would."

All adults look at the teenager, who is almost shrinking into himself on the sofa, trying to hide his embarrassment from the adults in the room.

"So, what do you think, Jake? Would you like to be a Fed like your aunties?" Matthew sits down besides Jake, and pokes him in the ribs, and the teen grimaces in pain, "sorry, man."

"It's ok, Uncle Matt," Jake glances at Matt, then at the smirking gray haired man, who he now knows is his auntie's boss, "I actually was thinking about joining the marines, just like my dad," he mumbles.

"It would be a very worthy choice," says Gibbs, who approaches the teen, silently asking him to look at him. Jake feels the silent order, and looks at him, "but it wouldn't be easy, I won't lie to you. But if you feel that's what you want to do, I recommend it."

"But if you are doing it for the thrill of it," says Matt, smirking at Joy, "don't do it, because you don't have to join the marines to have people trying to kill you. You can always simply be a Buchanan."

All adults laugh, and even Jake cracks a small smile.