NCIS

Let there be blood

Chapter 12

Family affairs

Abby rushed into the squad room just in time to catch Kate and McGee returning to their desks. "What happened to you?" She asked McGee noticing the black eye before she could say why she was upstairs. She couldn't help feeling concerned even after their disagreement earlier.

"Long story Abs, what do you need?" Kate spoke for her colleague. McGee sent an appreciative glance her way then turned his attention back to Abby.

Abby stared at McGee for a minute longer then sighed as she looked to Kate. "I have information about the case, where is Gibbs?"

"Observation with the Director, Paula Cassidy is interrogating Samantha." Kate told her.

Abby nodded. "Come with me, you guys should hear this too." Without waiting for them to follow or even speak she headed for the elevator.

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"Tell me about your relationship with your mother." Paula requested sharply while still remaining polite. She wanted answers but most of all she wanted Samantha to be innocent.

Samantha sighed heavily, frustrated with the game. "How much longer are we going to do this Cassidy? My mother's killer is out there somewhere and you're wasting time in here with me."

"Sam, I shouldn't have to explain to you why you're the prime suspect." Paula told her gently.

"I know why I'm a suspect Paula but you don't have any proof that I killed my own mother." Sam growled. She just wanted to go home or better yet to wake up and find that this has been a terrible nightmare except for the part about Brooke and Shannon being alive.

"Well she's certainly right about that." Abby entered observation just in time to hear what Samantha had to say. Kate and McGee were right behind her.

Jenny and Gibbs turned to the scientist both wearing curious expressions. "What do you have for me Abby?" Jenny asked gently.

"Sam didn't do it, I'm sure of it. First of all her SIG wasn't fired recently enough. The bullet that killed Joann came from a different gun." Abby told the room.

"What else do you have Abs?" Gibbs demanded. He was mostly relieved to hear that Samantha's gun wasn't the weapon that killed Joann but that didn't necessarily mean she was innocent.

"A few things," Abby began again. "Before Brooke left she gave me a name for our John Doe."

"And?" Gibbs and Jenny spoke together even though the latter already knew who it was but had not given any evidence of this. She really did not want anyone connecting her to all of this.

Kate and McGee shared a glance behind Abby before focusing on her once more to hear the answer. They were both just as eager to find out the truth.

"It's Mathieu Benoit, Joann's clothes that Ducky sent up to me for analysis had traces of a few compounds which mixed together accurately create a poison. Based on what I found she was definitely the one trying to kill him. As we already know he died from something completely different. The poison didn't kill him but it was going to if his heart didn't give out first." Abby explained.

Meanwhile Jenny looked uneasy but for the time being no one seemed to notice. In her mind she was wondering if any of this would have happened if it wasn't for her. "Is that all you have Abby?" She managed to ask when she found her voice.

"No, at the crime scene there were traces of blood on the doorknob leading into the house. My guess is the killer accidently slipped when picking the lock or something and cut themselves with their tools. In addition to that Ducky found tears on Joann's skin but not all of them were hers. When you cry and tears roll down your cheeks skin cells are often picked up-"

"Abby!" Gibbs barked. The fact that Abby had said the man down in autopsy shared the same last name as Jenny's enemy did not go unnoticed to him. He just chose to wait until he and Jenny were alone to discuss it.

"Right, anyway I ran some DNA tests on the blood and tears and came up with a positive match." Abby finished.

"Who was it?" Everyone else in the room asked quickly. Abby's suspense building speech made them impatient by now.

"Jeanne Benoit." Abby blurted out.

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Brooke smiled as Tony kissed her nose causing it to wrinkle slightly as it often did when she laughed harder than usual or smiled a real smile. The sight was both adorable to him and amusing making him chuckle in response.

Tony went on to kiss the dimples in her cheeks delicately then expertly moved his lips along her neck. This made her erupt in a small fit of giggles and in reaction to that Tony felt his heart swell.

Brooke gently ran her fingers through the short hair along the back of his neck. "If I didn't know any better I'd think you were looking to go another round." She teased.

Tony paused in the middle of kissing her neck to meet her eyes. "Forgive me if I want to remind you what you've been missing." He jabbed playfully adding a wink to go along with his smirk.

Brooke laughed once more and after calming down she released a sigh of content while looking into his eyes. They were both silent while they memorized each other all over again. She brought a hand up to rest against his cheek running the tip of her thumb along his lower lip.

Tony couldn't stop the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth from forming. The Italian carefully shifted his weight off his wife and switched his position so he was lying down facing her on his side.

Brooke went to move her body closer but he rolled away. "Where are you going?" She pouted instantly missing the warmth of his body.

"I have something for you." Tony answered as he sat up at the edge of the bed and slipped his boxers back on.

Brooke sat up in the center of the mattress pulling the sheets up to cover her breasts. She watched Tony stroll over to his dresser and pull open the top drawer. As he reached into it she saw something in the corner of her eye.

"Tony…" Brooke's voice was shaking as she said his name. Being held at gunpoint completely caught off guard had that effect on her.

The tone she used to capture his attention made Tony wonder what was wrong. However before he had the chance to move a muscle the barrel of a gun came into his line of vision.

"Hands up." A cold voice ordered him, a female voice. One that he knew but never thought he'd get the chance to hear again.

Deciding it was best to just do what Jeanne told him to for Brooke's sake and his own Tony instantly raised both hands out of the drawer. In one of them he was clutching a small velvet box one that Brooke recognized from the bed as the box he had when he proposed.

"Who are you?" She demanded wanting to know the woman who was holding a gun to her husband and if her daughter was safe.

"Shut her up." Jeanne ordered someone that Tony couldn't see.

"No don't!" Tony whipped around quickly hoping to stop it from happening but just as soon as he moved the man with Jeanne slammed a thick glass bowl into the side of Brooke's skull.

A tiny gasp escaped his wife before the sickening crack. Tony could only identify the item she was whacked with as something from their living room. It was a square glass bowl that was at least an inch thick perhaps more.

Tony didn't care about what it was that harmed Brooke as much as the damage that might have been caused by it. He went to run to her but thought better of it when he heard the clicking of Jeanne's gun as she took the safety off.

Tony could only watch as Brooke was wrapped up in their sheets. He couldn't help noticing a bit of blood on her pillow as she was lifted. "What are you doing?" He shouted but received no answer.

A limp Brooke was carried out of the room by Jeanne's henchman. He knew he had never seen the burly guy before but he intended to find out who he was when this was over.

Seconds after Brooke was out of the room a terrified scream that could only have come from a child pierced his ears.

"SHANNON!"

"DADDY HELP!"

Tony went to do just that but before he could even take a step he was hit in the back of the head with something hard.