Author's note: I know this chapter is a little short but stay with me readers. The drama is soon to continue. In the next few chapters I intend to make this story pretty intense.

NCIS

Let there be blood

Chapter 11

Silence is louder

McGee winced as Kate gently placed the ice pack over his eye where an intense bruise had already begun to form. Shortly after he kissed Brooke she had slapped him out of shock and not a second later Tony had taken a rough swing after handing Shannon off to Kate and knocked him to the ground. McGee fought back though since Tony hadn't intended on stopping there until Gibbs broke it up.

Sometime in the middle of the violent exchange between the three of them Paula Cassidy had shown up followed by Ducky and Palmer. Cassidy had been ordered by Jenny to immediately take the case since Paula was part of the new NCIS internal affairs unit that began after Renee Benoit's murder.

Kate sighed softly as she sat with McGee in the break room back at headquarters. Samantha was to be interrogated as a suspect and the silver haired leader refused to let her go through the trauma alone. It was bad enough she found Joann the way she did.

Tony and Brooke went home from the crime scene bringing Shannon with them. Gibbs had ordered them to get some rest. If they were able to that is and it was starting to get late anyway.

"What were you thinking kissing DiNozzo's wife Tim?" Kate wondered while trying not to sound judgmental.

"If you don't mind Kate I'd rather not talk about it right now." McGee replied flatly.

"Alright, I can understand that but keep in mind that they are going to want to know why you did it too." She advised him softly.

NCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS

Samantha paced back and forth in the interrogation room. All she could do was bite her nails and run her fingers through her hair. The sight of her in this state was torture to Gibbs who was watching from the other side of the glass. Not a moment too soon Paula entered observation with a case file in her hand followed closely by the Director.

Gibbs opened his mouth to speak but stopped when Jenny shook her head. "This isn't up for debate Jethro." She told him. "One word and I'm kicking you out of here." The redhead warned.

Gibbs glared at her for a moment as he took in a deep breath. "If I can't interrogate her myself at least let me in there to comfort her." He growled.

"Agent Gibbs, you know we can't allow that. Samantha gets distracted every time you're around and we need answers." Paula replied stubbornly.

Gibbs turned ready to verbally strike back but Jenny spoke first. "Special Agent Cassidy you may begin with the interrogation. We'll be standing by."

The blonde nodded respectfully at the agency boss before tossing a look of disapproval at Gibbs on her way out of observation.

Jenny watched her leave then walk into interrogation a moment later. Gibbs stood becoming rigid as he saw Samantha move to sit down facing the mirror.

Paula Cassidy took a seat so she faced the other agent with her back to the glass. "Are you sure you don't want a lawyer Sam?" She began.

"Rule number thirteen, Agent Cassidy." Samantha answered with an exasperated sigh.

"Am I boring you Special Agent Fielding," Paula wondered coldly. "What's rule number thirteen?" She added.

"Never ever involve lawyers." Samantha clarified. Gibbs took on a smug expression in the observation room.

"Look, I just found my mother murdered and I've been here for hours. I just want to go home, get some rest, and make the proper arrangements." Samantha said as she leaned forward to rest her face in her hands.

"This won't take much longer if you cooperate, I shouldn't have to tell you that." Paula said.

"Let's get this over with then." Samantha sighed.

Paula nodded silently as she opened the file in front of her. She tilted it up slightly so all Samantha would be able to see was the NCIS logo printed on the front cover.

Gibbs sighed heavily from where he stood in observation. He couldn't and wouldn't take his eyes off of Samantha. She looked as tired as she sounded and her eyes were red from crying.

Jenny glanced over to find that his jaw was clenched and his hands had become fists at his sides. She didn't know what to say so she settled on remaining silent and turned her attention back to Samantha. Clearly Gibbs was still protective over her.

"Run me through your day." Paula politely ordered Samantha. They were investigating a murder with one of their own as the prime suspect but that didn't mean Samantha had to be treated entirely like a criminal. She knew all the tricks after all since she had been an agent for as long as Gibbs and an officer of the law for longer than that.

Samantha ran both hands through her hair the forced herself to relax a bit more. It was obvious that she was still shaken up but determined to clear her name.

"I woke up at 0500 like I do every morning." The brunette began.

Gibbs became less tense for another brief moment and smiled a bit to himself. He had always known his former partner to be an early riser, especially when he and Jenny worked with her on undercover missions overseas.

Paula made a note of this information she was given on the small notepad she had extracted from her back pocket along with a pen. The interrogation was being recorded but to keep from wasting time going back and forth on the tape she decided to write some things down. As she jotted what Samantha said into her notes she nodded at her to continue.

"I still had company over from the night before." Samantha added, her cheeks slowly turning pink as she spoke.

"What sort of company?" Paula asked.

"That's personal." Sam mumbled.

"I need to know." Paula pressed.

Samantha sighed heavily. "A friend with benefits okay? I'm too busy for a real relationship and one night stands require going out to find someone and I don't have time for that either." She said unpleasantly.

"What's your friend's name?" Paula questioned putting emphasis on the word 'friend'. She could actually relate to the situation so she couldn't exactly disagree with Samantha's choices.

"That's none of your business. I'm sure he isn't even involved." Samantha replied.

"I'll be the judge of that." Paula replied. "Tell me his name."

The room fell silent for awhile, Gibbs and Jenny could see that Samantha was hesitant about getting her 'friend' involved.

"Sam, I can't help you if you don't tell me and you know that." Paula reasoned.

Samantha bit her lip before finally deciding to spit it out. "Mathieu Benoit." She said quickly.

NCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS

"You liked it didn't you?" Tony asked bitterly as he stretched out on one side of the California King sized bed. Brooke was perched on the edge of it holding ice wrapped in a dishtowel to his swollen lip.

"Watching you fight my best friend like that, of course not." Brooke replied as she made sure that Tony kept his right fist covered by the bag of frozen peas.

"I was talking about the kiss." Tony stared at her in a way that felt accusatory. Brooke wasn't sure whether to be angry or ultimate offended. As it turned out she was both.

"Don't be ridiculous Anthony. I couldn't be more disgusted with McGee right now if I tried." Brooke replied. "After all these years he decided now was the best time to do something like that. Besides you saw me slap him." She added with a shake of her head.

"Well I didn't exactly see you trying to put a stop to it, McGee pulled back first." Tony growled out of jealousy.

Brooke couldn't understand why Tony seemed to be insisting that the kiss was not only one sided. "I didn't exactly kiss him back either."

Tony grabbed hold of his wife's wrist moving her hand away from his mouth. "Don't lie to me Brooke, do you love him?"

This was the last conversation Brooke ever wanted to have especially after everything that was going on. All she really wanted to do was curl up with her husband and fall asleep in the safety of his arms.

"No, of course I don't, not in that way at least. I love him the same way I love Abby and Ducky, as family." Brooke answered. "You're the only man I'll ever truly love."

Tony was silent for a long time as he looked into her eyes and processed everything she had to say. Finally after a few minutes he released her hand and sat up in their bed gently pushing her onto her back.

"Shannon is asleep in her room right?"

Brooke nodded as Tony positioned himself above her. "She's out like a light."

Tony flashed a grin at his wife as he leaned in closer. "Good." He mumbled against her lips before kissing her as best he could considering McGee had thrown a punch to his mouth earlier.