Chapter 21

(**Flashback**)

'I really, really like you'

"Um, thanks?" Abby said still shocked.

"Okay…" McGee said now embarrassed.

An awkward silence continued. Abby then said:

"Um, sorry, I really need to go now"

"Yeah, no problem. See you tomorrow" He replied.

"Ok, then. Bye" She hurried to get out. She was still very confused after everything just happened. Her heart was beating really fast.

Tomorrow at the NCIS building…

Ducky and Gerald are getting ready to do an autopsy.

"So, he's not American?" Ducky questioned while taking his coat off.

"They only said he's a royal Navy officer" Gerald said as he turned on the lights.

"Which royal, Gerald? There are many of them, you know" Ducky mutters.

"I assume he's British" Gerald adds.

"The Swedes, Norwegians, Aussies, Kiwis, Saudis… they all have royal Navies" Ducky places his hat on the hat stand.

"Well, the EMT said that the Embassy told them to bring him to us, for an autopsy" Gerald explains.

"Embassy? "Ducky asked. "Which one?" He was curious.

"Israeli" Gerald put his gloves on.

"Israeli?" Ducky inquired.

"Yes, that's what they said" Gerald tells him.

"And why on the earth would Israeli Embassy send us a foreign naval officer?" Ducky thank out loud.

"Well, that's why I asked, but they didn't know why either" He replied.

"You call me to go down here in the middle of the night, and you don't know which Navy" Ducky murmured. "Gerald? What does this look like?" Ducky says as he takes out a glove from his drawer.

"Uh… One of my gloves" He says, looking ashamed.

"And, what is it doing here, in my drawer?" He kept asking.

"Sorry, Doc. I probably put it there by accident. I'll get it" Gerald apologizes.

"No, it's fine. I'll do it. Gerald, unzip the bag and find out which Navy did our guest sail" Ducky says while putting on his cap.

Gerald unzips the body bag, and then freezes, in shock. He was standing there, unable to move, or say anything. His mouth was fully open.

"Don't recognize the uniform? I'm not surprised. The royal Navy often wear almost identical uniforms"

He says without seeing, or knowing what terrified his helper so much. He continued waffling around until he approached the body. The only thing he could say was:

"Good God"

There was a unidentified man, pointing a gun at them. He was alive, off course. He got up slowly and turned around to see the place.

"Turn off the lights…" He said to Gerald, still pointing the gun at him. "And then, come back" He continued.

Gerald took his order and turned off the lights. He looked around and then in the camera's way. He turned back to Ducky and Gerald.

"Is the video camera on?" He says and quickly shoots the camera. It falls down to the floor.

"Sorry, Doc" Gerald swallowed.

"Oh, it's okay. I looked at him too" Ducky said, wittily.

"How do you alert visitors when doing an infectious autopsy?" The man asked looking to the door.

"We hang a decomposing body in the corridor" Ducky sustained with his jokes.

"A sense of humor in duress. It's an admirable quality, doctor. However, when I ask a question, I want a truthful answer. Or, each time you lie, or I suspect it, I will shoot your assistant. First, the shoulder, than the rest. I can demonstrate, if you'd like it better" the man was speaking silently, with kind of and British accent, that would annoy even a British man himself.

"That won't be necessary. I would like to make a request" Ducky was holding strong. But, he was still very scared.

"You would rather like me to shoot you, doctor?" He says while pointing the gun slowly to his chest.

"Yes" He says bravely.

"I cannot oblige. How do you alert people here for an infectious autopsy?" He repeated his question, now even more serious.

"A lit red sign in the hallway" Ducky finally answered.

"Very good, doctor, very good. Gerald, the sign. And lock the doors when you come back" He ordered.

"What is it? What do you want?" Ducky asked.

"Patience, doctor. In due time" He said.

At the NCS garage…

Tony and Kate are walking through the garage. Tony suddenly, out of nowhere, asks Kate:

"Hey Kate? Ever had a nightmare?"

"Uh-uh" She smiled.

"Not even as a kid?" He asked, disappointed.

"Nope. No fear of the dark, or the boogie monster hiding somewhere" Kate says.

"Me neither. But the vampire on the canopy of my bed freaked me out" Tony says as he shrugs off his shoulders, when thinking about the vampire.

"You had a canopy bed?" She laughed.

"I was five. My mother was into Luis the Fifteenth. It wasn't my call, Kate" He explained, kind of angrily.

"Does she still frighten you?" Kate questioned him.

"My mother?" Tony was confused.

"No, the vampire" Kate grins.

"What makes you think it was a 'she'?" He asks.

"Well, Tony, vampires are seducers. Knowing you, it had to be a female" She said.

"Hey, she was after my blood, not the pride of my childhood" He said as he ran to the elevator.

"You were proud when you were five?" She smirks. He smiles. They get to the bullpen, and the both of them step out of the elevator.

"She finished the story, tucked me in, and blown the candles. My mother thought that candles will enhance the trompe l'oeil " He says.

"Canopy beds, trompe l'oeil, flickering candles… No wonder that your bête noir was vampire" Kate adds.

"Bête noir. Cute" He said, sarcastically.

"So it would go with the Louis Fifteenth room. So… What happened?" Kate was snooping.

"Forget it" He said.

"Forget what?" Gibbs passed by, as usual"

"Oh, well, Tony's bête noir"

"It is French for…" Tony starts, but gets interrupted by Gibbs.

"Nightmare. You know, I do crossword puzzles too, Dinozzo" Gibbs says kind of pissed off.

"Actually, my mother taught me nightmare in French…" Tony gets interrupted, again.

"No time for your little stories, Dinozzo. Get back to your report. Maybe your father taught you that" Gibbs glared at him angrily.

"Yeah, he did" Tony says.

"Dinozzo…" He hissed.

"Fine, fine…" He sat back at his chair.