Chapter 17: An unforgettable clash of wills

The snakelike dragon entered the chamber and contemplated the maiden his father had chosen for him. His sinuous body moved closer to the bride and his nostrils flickered as he felt the scent of her fear in the air.

He glared at her and demanded in his most authoritarian voice, "Take off your nightshirt, wife!"

"Take off one of your skins, Lindorm."

The Lindorm frowned at such strange request. "None of the others have ever requested that."

"If you don't take your skin off, I won't take my nightshirt off".

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

"She saved your life, you know?"

I touched my own neck, feeling the bump where the drug had been administered and looked at Ziva who was looking at me with concern as I was checked by the paramedics in the ambulance on the street just out of the alley me and Laura had been attacked.

"How do you know that?"

"Somehow she was able to call 911 and all the conversation was recorded by the operators. She put the phone under your head along with her jacket before she convinced him to spare your life and take her with him. They traced the call and forwarded the address to us."

"Oh, God."

"Get ready, Gibbs is coming." Ziva stood up straighter as both she and I watched Gibbs coming in large steps towards us, his face closed off meaning trouble for me.

"What the hell happened in here?"

"Boss..."

Ziva silently walked away, not willing to be caught in the crossfire. Of course he wouldn't give me the chance of explaining, so he plowed ahead instead with his usual grace.

"McGee, why can't I trust you with the single task of watching over a probie? What the hell happened here?"

Mea culpa mea culpa mea culpa.

"I was... distracted."

Gibbs came closer, his hand opening and closing, giving me a hint that he was ohhh so eager to headslap me until my brain was rearranged inside my skull. He stood in front of me, his nose a few inches away from mine, his blue eyes piercing me demanding the truth of what happened.

"How distracted?"

I gulped and admitted it. Mea culpa.

"I was breaking rule 12."

"What?" That brought a pause to Gibbs as well to Ziva and Tony, who were a few steps away but they were still in hearing distance. Ah, man, I've made the mess now I have to clean it.

I just hoped I still have the chance of fixing it with Laura, that she's still alive, that she's not reduced to a body on Ducky's autopsy table.

"I was... breaking rule twelve, Boss." I happened to glance to Gibbs' forehead and I noticed a vein pumping in there. I just hope he doesn't have a fit in front of me now. "I … I broke rule twelve. Last night. When I took her home." I paused and blushed as I remember the previous night. "Several times actually. And again here, when … Norman attacked us. He caught me distracted because of that. And I'll never forgive myself if something happens to her because... Boss, I really want to break rule number twelve again. And again. And again."

Gibbs stared into my eyes, his blue eyes waiting for the smallest flicker of doubt or weakness on my part, but I had made up my mind. I wasn't going to give up on this one.

Finally Gibbs turned his back to me, not allowing me access to his thoughts through his eyes anymore. He studied the alley for a moment while I just waited for him to make his mind either to rip me to shreds or serve me to the lions.

Neither would be a pleasant option.

"She's FBI." Finally he muttered.

"Yes, she is."

"She's a profiler too. A good one," he turned to me, "let's hope she can play him long enough so we can find her alive."

"Boss?"

Gibbs turned around and smirked at me, surprising me deeply, "I was betting that DiNozzo would hit on her first, but there's rule 51."

"Which is what? I've never heard of that one."

"Sometimes you're wrong." With that he put a hand on my shoulder, and I'm sure he could clearly see the relief and astonishment on my face as he completed, "Let's go find your girl."