Chapter 9

Want to apologize. Did not realize I had the navel base spelled wrong until my daughter read it for me. I always thought they said North Fork. Guess I should have done better research.

The sun was just coming through the bedroom window of Tony DiNozzo when his phone rang and woke him from a sound sleep. It had been a rough night and was not ready to wake up. "Yeah Boss. I 'm awake."

" Agent DiNozzo, this is Agent Walters from Norfolk," the voice replied.

Tony stammered for a few minutes trying to get awake. "Ok what do you need?"

"Remember you wanted us to check out Sergeant Long's apartment off base," he reminded him.

"Sorry" Tony replied wiping the sleep out of his eyes. "Did you find anything?"

" Sure did. The body of her roommate, she was shot."

They found another body. That got Tony awake. "Did you seal it off?" He knew Gibbs would want them to check it out immediately.

" Yes sir. Knew it was your case. Body's not been touched."

"Good. We will be there asap," DiNozzo replied hanging up the phone. He then immediately dialed Gibbs but it went to voice mail. "That is strange Gibbs always heard his phone," he thought. "Guess I need to head over to his house."

He called McGee and Ziva to let them know they would be heading out quickly. He then got dressed and headed over to Gibbs' place.

At the hospital in Samantha Waverly's room

Gibbs woke up and stretched. His back and neck were stiff and sore. He must have fallen asleep with his head on her hospital bed. He looked down at his watch. "0700" he thought. "Got to get some coffee." He looked up at Sam. She was still sleeping peacefully. He did not want to wake her because she was sound asleep and did not appear to be in pain. She looked so beautiful even with the big black and blue shiner around her right eye and the swollen cut on her forehead. He hated to leave her but he needed coffee. He also had to check in with the office and see what was going on.

Looking around her bed he found a piece of paper and scribbled her a note, not wanting for her to wake up and not see him there and worry.

The note read, "Had to get some coffee and check in with the office. Won't be long. The agent is outside if you get worried or call me. Jethro "

He kissed her lightly on the lips and laid the note on her stomach. "I'll be right back, " he whispered.

He then left the room and saw that a new agent had replaced the sentry from last night. " Morning" he said. "Special Agent Gibbs, I will be right back. Keep her safe."

"Yes sir," the agent replied. Gibbs got on the elevator and headed for the lobby. He was going to get coffee outside the hospital. Hospital coffee was the worst and he had a surprise for his special lady.

Agent Tony DiNozzo got in his car and headed to the house of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. On the way over he tried Gibbs's phone again and it went to voice mail. Not like his Boss to break Rule 3 to never be unreachable. "Bet he fell asleep under that boat again" DiNozzo muttered.

Pulling up to the house he noticed that Gibbs' truck was not in the driveway and neither was his NCIS charger. He got out of his car and went into the house. "Boss needs to learn about locks." He began looking in the basement. "Well he is not here either. Could he still be at the hospital? That is strange." Picking up his phone he dialed Ziva.

"Hello," she answered.

"Ziva, have you heard from Gibbs? He is not answering his phone and I just left his house and he is not home," Tony inquired of his partner.

"No I have not spoken to him. Did he not say he was going to check out that witness when he left last night?"

"That is where I am headed. If you hear from him call me. Check with Probie and see if he has heard from him. This is strange." Tony hung up the phone and headed for the hospital.

Back at the hospital Samantha was woken up by her day nurse Julie coming in to check her vitals. She looked puzzled when she did not see Gibbs there. "Do you know where my friend went?" she asked her nurse.

" I think he left a while ago." She began checking her patient's pulse. "Looks like he left you a note." She handed the small piece of paper to Samantha. She read the note and smiled.

"He is not much good to anybody without his coffee," she smirked. "He will be back soon."

Just then there was a knock at her door. The nurse went to answer it. Tony DiNozzo showed his badge to the nurse. "Miss Waverly there is an NCIS agent to see you."

" So formal this morning" she smiled, "Let him in. Good morning hand…." Samantha stopped short when she realized it was not Gibbs.

"Good morning Miss Waverly," Tony replied. "Where is Gibbs? Since Tony did not see him in the room he got concerned.

"His note said that he was going for coffee and to check in with the office," she said smiling. " Nice to finally meet you Very Special Agent DiNozzo."

"Excuse me, how do you know my name?"

"Jethro told me. You are the movie buff, I believe," she told him. " Can't wait to take you on in trivial pursuit." A confused Julie finished her vitals and left quietly.

"The Boss told you. Forgive me but I am at a loss for words. You seem to know me but I don't know you." Tony was confused. How did she know me he thought and she called Gibbs Jethro. Maybe she was the Boss' new girl. He thought he better tread these waters lightly.

"Sure. I know about all of you. McGee the computer whiz, Ziva the ninja warrior, Abby the science geek, Ducky the ME, and you the movie buff. Oh I forgot Palmer the Autopsy Gremlin." Samantha was beginning to realize that Gibbs had kept her all to himself. Sounds like him she thought. He was never one to gossip about himself to anyone.

"Well he has kept quiet about you. How long have you known him?"

"About 3 months. I have been after him to introduce me. He thinks of you guys as his family," she told him. "Guess I am still his little secret."

Just then Gibbs walked through the door carrying his coffee, a white bag and a can of Diet Coke. " Brought you a surprise sweetheart, your favorite breakfast. Two Crispy Cream donuts and a can of Diet coke. Hospital food sucks." He had not noticed Tony. He only had eyes for her.

Samantha winked at Tony and replied. "Goody! Thanks for the treat. Did not know I was a national secret Jethro." She looked over at Tony and smiled just as Gibbs kissed her on the cheek.

Gibbs looked and saw Tony standing near her bed and just rolled his eyes and smiled at her. "Guess with him here you aren't anymore." He handed her the bag of donuts and opened the coke can for her. He then stared in Tony's direction. "What are you doing here DiNozzo?" he barked.

She could see Tony's back stiffen and he was almost standing at attention. "Could not reach you on the phone Boss. They found another body at Norfolk."

"Where?" Samantha asked before Gibbs could.

" In Stone's apartment."

" That must be Olivia's roommate Jethro. I think her name is Victoria Broadhurst." Samantha replied.

Tony looked at his notes and nodded. "You know her Sam," Gibbs asked almost totally ignoring Tony.

"Talked to her on the phone once. She worked in the same office with Olivia but I really do not know much about her."

A look of concern came into Gibbs' eyes that really bothered Sam. She knew that look. He was concerned for her safety big time now. " You think they will be after me more now, right"

"Well, we need to find that insurance policy Stone talked about even more now." Then he turned to DiNozzo. " Get the team and head to Norfolk and check out the crime scene. Sgt. Stone seems according to Sam here to have some information on the reason she was killed. I am staying here. She will not be without one of the team until we get these bastards," Gibbs instructed, "Make sure you get all the computers in the apartment. I am sending a team to Stone's temporary quarters at the Navel Yard. Let me know what you find."

"On it Boss." Tony looked at Sam and grinned. "Anything you want to add. Miss Waverly."

"No just find out who killed my friend." She smiled at him and her eyes said thank you. " What about your phone? Should I get it checked out by Abbie?"

Samantha smiled at Tony and Gibbs. "Hand it here. Bet you put it on silent last night and forgot to fix it," she said. Gibbs handed her the phone. She checked it out and looked up at him. "You broke Rule 3 for me. How nice? It is fixed now. Gibbs you really need to remember how to turn the ringer back on." She looked over at Tony. "I am slowly getting him into the 21st century."

Tony smirked thinking like he knows how to turn the ringer off. Gibbs gave him a stare. He then turned to Samantha and glared at her for embarrassing him. She shrugged her shoulder forgetting about her sore shoulder. Her face winced with pain. "Serves you right young lady"

Tony just smiled and left. When he was outside he grabbed his phone and dialed Ziva's number.

"Gibbs does have a girl friend," he said when she answered, " and I think he is in love with her."