It's a long one but I couldn't break it anywhere else unless I made it really short. I figure you're getting used to long chapters by now!
To Retire or Not to Retire
Chapter Five
The next morning Jethro woke to two sensations; one very good and one not so welcome. He wasn't sure if the scent of coffee or the Holly's absence in the bed was what woke him up. He looked at the clock on the bedside table and was surprised to see it was almost eight o'clock. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept so late. Then he thought about how the two of them had been up late getting reacquainted and then about four o'clock he had been awakened when Holly climbed back in bed after a trip to the bathroom. Since he was awake she had proceeded to take advantage of him and by the time he fell back asleep he was wiped out. He did remember he was smiling and so was Holly so it had been worthwhile. Now he knew he better get moving because they had a lot to accomplish today.
Holly was in the kitchen sipping her first cup of coffee and getting ready to take one to Jethro when the doorbell rang. She couldn't imagine who was visiting at this hour on a Saturday. She had let Jethro sleep because he was obviously exhausted but they needed to get busy if they were going to get the unpacking done today. She wasn't quite sure how they were going to get all the furniture moved by themselves but she hadn't taken time to worry about it yet. She figured Jethro would have that handled. Before any of that could be sorted out she needed to see who was at the door.
Holly opened the front door to find Tony standing there with the rest of Jethro's team behind him and a couple of other folks she hadn't met before.
"Morning Ms. Snow. Sorry to bother you unannounced but we thougth you and the Boss might need some help with the unpacking of these two pod thingys."
"Good morning to you all. My goodness, yes we could certainly use the help. Come in. Jethro is upstairs. Make yourselves at home and I'll be right back."
Holly stood back and while they all streamed into the house, she went upstairs to get Jethro. She found him in the bathroom brushing his teeth.
"Morning." he mumbled around his toothbrush.
"Jethro, your team is downstairs. They are here to help us unpack."
Jethro looked at her as if he didn't understand what she was saying. He had not said anything to anyone about them moving into the house today. Ducky must have alerted them. Well, it was unexpected but not unwelcome that was for sure. He rinsed and spit.
"Okay, well I better get dressed and get down there. First I need a kiss."
Holly gave him a very nice kiss then she patted him on the butt and told him to hurry up. As she turned to walk away he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back against his chest.
"Hey, that was a very nice wake up you gave me whenever it was. I enjoyed it very much."
"Me too. Maybe we can do it again sometime."
"Count on it."
Holly decided to put on her work clothes while she was in the bedroom. She found some comfy old jeans she had thought to pack and an NCIS tee shirt she had liberated from Jethro last year some time. Jethro pulled on some clean shorts and a Marines tee shirt. Before they left the room, Jethro had to have another kiss. He pulled Holly against his chest and framed her face with his big hands. He looked her right in the eyes and then he kissed her until they were both out of breath.
"Jethro, we have people downstairs."
"I know. That's why I'm kissing you up here. Might not get another chance for a while."
He brushed his thumb across her lips and kissed her on the nose.
"I love you by the way."
"Likewise. Now come on before DiNozzo comes looking for us."
"He better not or he'll be looking for a new job next."
"Yeah right."
This was going to be the first time the team had seen Jethro and Holly together with all of them present. Jethro wasn't worried but Holly was a little bit anxious. After all, this was like meeting the family and Holly knew they knew about her past.
"Hey, it'll be fine. They're all good with us. Don't worry."
"Okay. Thanks for reading my mind."
When they got downstairs they saw that Abby and McGee's girlfriend, Delilah, had taken over the eating bar in the kitchen and had covered it with bagels, fruit and drinks. Abby threw her arms around Jethro's neck and hugged him fiercely as was her habit. When she disengaged from him she hugged Holly although not quite as tightly.
"We thought you probably didn't have much food. Or any food actually so we brought breakfast. Ducky will be here this afternoon with lunch. We just wanted to help you get all moved in so you could enjoy your time together as soon as possible. Hope that's okay."
"Abby, it's wonderful. Thank you so much. I didn't know how Jethro and I would manage the furniture but now I do. Thank you all for coming."
"Yeah, thanks guys. Where's Bishop?"
"She and Jake had something to do this morning but they'll be here in about an hour."
"Okay, well let's eat and get to it."
They all dug into bagels and Jethro poured the coffee. As he watched his agents interact seamlessly he was very proud of the team they had built. He wondered if he would really be able to say goodbye to them in a few months.
Tim stepped forward and introduced Delilah and Holly.
"I'm not much help with moving but I figured I could at least supervise."
"Oh, I have just the job for the two of us. We'll get the kitchen boxes in here and you can help me organize. How does that sound?"
"Perfect. I love the kitchen so that's right up my alley."
Holly had already bought shelf liners so once the eating was finished she and Abby cleared the bar and the three women got busy cutting and placing the liners in the cabinets and drawers while the men unloaded furniture and boxes.
"Holly, the house is so fabulous. It's really like a whole new house."
"Yes, it's wonderful isn't it. I'm very pleased with everything. I think we'll be very happy here."
"I have to tell you that the Bossman is already very happy. He is practically a new man since the two of you got together. Thank you for that. He's very important to me; to all of us and we're grateful he's finally found someone to love. And who loves him."
Holly was very touched by Abby's comments. She knew how much Jethro cared for his forensic scientist and it meant a lot to her that Abby was accepting of her relationship with Jethro.
Delilah spoke up, "I don't know Gibbs very well but from Tim has said, Abby is absolutely right. Gibbs is a very different man than the man Tim started working for. Of course there have been a lot of things happen over the past few years but from what I can gather, you are the positive change in his life."
"Okay, ladies you're going to make me cry so we have to change the subject. Thank you for your kind words and be assured Jethro has made an equally positive impact on my life. Now, Delilah tell me about where you're working these days. Jethro said you were in Dubai for a while."
The three women got the kitchen ready for dishes, pots and pans and all the things that went in drawers and cabinets. Holly went out to the pod that had her things in it and located the kitchen boxes. She corralled Tony to help her carry them in the house.
"Thanks for being here Tony. This is a wonderful surprise."
"Well, we figured you were here this weekend and we knew the house was finished so we decided to make ourselves useful."
"How did you know I was here?" She was sure Jethro didn't talk much about them at work.
"Ah, well, we can always tell when you're coming or here or when the Boss is going down to see you. His mood elevates about six notches and he doesn't growl quite as much. Bishop hasn't caught on yet but the rest of us know him well enough to gauge these things."
Holly was intrigued but not surprised. She knew she was certainly in a better mood when she was coming to DC or Jethro was visiting her. It made her feel very good to know he reacted in a similar fashion to her being here. Jethro showed up as they were carrying two boxes toward the front door.
"DiNozzo, are you making yourself useful or trying to make time with my girl?"
"Little bit of both?"
"I figured. Here, give me that box and you get two more and come on."
Holly just laughed and went on into the house. Jethro caught her and gave her a quick kiss before depositing his box on the kitchen floor.
"You want all the kitchen boxes in here now? From both pods?"
"Sure if you can get to them. Just stack them over there and we'll sort them out."
"Okay."
The work went quickly with so many people helping so by the time Bishop and Jake showed up they had all the boxes unloaded and were ready for the furniture.
"Holly, I need you to come direct where you want this living room furniture."
Holly stepped out of the kitchen to find Tony, Tim, Jimmy and Jake wrestling the couch part of the sectional through the front door.
"If you guys scratch that new paint you'll be here fixing it. And Holly will be furious."
"Jethro! Don't worry guys we have plenty of paint if we need a touch up. I think it pretty much has to go in front of the window, don't you?"
Holly stood beside him and Jethro put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her on the head.
"Yeah, but I wanted to hear you say it."
"Okay guys maybe just a bit of an angle sort of more facing the fireplace."
The men set the couch down and then carefully, so as not to scratch the floor, reset it to the proper angle. They stood, each at a corner waiting for the final word from either the Boss or the Lady of the House.
"That's perfect. Thank you."
Jethro just stood and looked at it and Holly thought he was going to want it moved. It was larger than his old sofa; deeper and a bit longer, so it took up pretty much all the space right in front of the window. Holly had been unsure about bringing since it was so big but Jethro insisted. He loved that couch and he didn't want to part with it. They had removed the partial wall that had defined the old dining room so now the living area was larger and she thought the couch looked fine there. They had to leave the other parts of the sectional but Holly was okay with that.
"Is that okay with you Jethro? If you don't like it there, say something now while we have these guys here to move it."
"No, it's good there. Coffee table in front and the that long narrow table behind like it was at the condo?"
"Yes, that will be perfect."
About that time the guys appeared with the two tables and put them where Jethro directed. Next came the spare bedroom furniture and the office furniture. All that went upstairs and Holly went back to the kitchen.
When Ducky arrived at noon with pizzas and beer and sodas everyone was ready to take a break. Holly found paper plates and they all took their food outside to the new deck.
"Wow, Boss this is fabulous. I can see hot tub parties back here for sure."
"Jethro, this is very nice. Was she surprised?"
"Yes she was. DiNozzo, you have a party over here I better not hear about it from the neighbors."
Tony grinned, knowing he had just been given permission to use the hot tub anytime the Boss was out of town. That was a privelege he would certainly use but not abuse. Lunchtime was over and everyone got back to work for a couple more hours. By three o'clock both pods were empty and everything was in place except for what was in the many, many boxes left to be unpacked.
Jethro gathered everyone in the living room to thank them.
"We really appreciate all your help today. Once we're all settled and can manage our schedules we'll have you all over for a proper house warming. Thanks for giving up your Saturday to help us."
Holly added, "I was wonderful to have you all here. Please know you are always welcome and we expect to see you often."
Ducky spoke for the group, "We were very happy to be able to help. This is a beautiful home and we know you two will be very happy here for a long time."
"That's the plan Duck."
Jethro hugged his oldest, most trusted friend then Abby and soon all the goodbyes had been said and Jethro and Holly were home alone. They looked around at all the boxes still to be unpacked and both of them sighed with a combination of exhaustion and determination to get a little bit more done.
"Come on lover, it's only afternoon. We can get a lot more done today."
"Okay, where do you want to start?"
"Let's do the books and things that go down here then see about the upstairs."
That's what they did and three hours later they had unloaded almost all the boxes. There were still things to hang on the walls and odds and ends to find a place for but the majority of everything was put in its place. Holly had been able to bring all her art work and between them they had agreed on the placement of each piece. Some of it went upstairs and her favorite went in the bedroom. Jethro promised to get all of it hung up before she left tomorrow night. At six thirty they both collapsed on the bed.
Holly reached for his hand.
"I wish I didn't have to leave tomorrow."
"I know."
They were quiet for a long time. They were lying on their backs holding hands. Jethro had his eyes closed and he was trying to figure out what the right thing to say was. Holly was staring at the ceiling wondering if Jethro would ask her to stay. She thought she wanted him to but on the other hand she had made a commitment and she didn't want to walk away from it early. She wanted him to ask her and then understand when she said no. That sounded incredibly unfair to her when she ran it through her mind.
"I would love it if you could stay here but I don't think you're ready to just yet. You have some unfinished business in Florida. Right?"
Holly squeezed his hand and swallowed down the tears that were threatening.
"You are right on both counts. I want to be here with you but I made a deal and they are counting on me to be there for the year. I can't walk away from that."
"And I don't want you to. We're fine and we can manage a few more months. I'm definitely retiring at the end of the year so basically all we have to do is make it to Christmas. I'll take annual leave the last two weeks of the year and then I'll be done. It'll be here before you know it."
"This is what you really want?"
"Yeah. There was a minute this afternoon when I asked myself I was really ready to walk away but then I looked at everyone and saw how damn young they all are and I suddenly felt my age. They're ready to be in charge. Ducky will be retiring pretty soon I imagine. It's time to turn the reins over to DiNozzo and let him run the show. I'll do all I can to make sure that's what happens."
Holly rolled over and kissed him on the cheek.
"I'm glad you've decided for sure. Why don't we get cleaned up and go find some dinner somewhere?"
"Okay but only if you promise to get in the hot tub with me when we get home."
"I think that sounds wonderful. In fact, maybe I can find us something that will sustain us until tomorrow and then we won't have go out."
"That's even better. Come on, I'll help you."
After some dinner and a soak in the hot tub, they fell into bed exhausted. In what was becoming a nice habit, they were both awake in the middle of the night and spent some time making sweet love. Holly, who had been so tired just a few hours earlier had been revived by her sleep time and she couldn't seem to get enough of him. There seemed to be a lot of rolling around and position changes but Jethro was certainly not complaining. Sometimes he wondered where she got all her energy; especially at three in the morning. She paid very close attention to every place that he really liked her to be and by the time he collapsed beside her he was really hoping the next few months flew by just as he'd said they would. Otherwise, one of them was going to be racking up a lot of frequent flyer miles.
Sunday they finished unpacking and under Holly's watchful eye, Jethro hung all the art work and pictures. When it was time for her to go Holly silently packed her bag while Jethro waited downstairs. Now that they were in the house it was going to be harder to leave. When she came downstairs, Jethro was sitting on the couch looking very morose. He knew he needed to put on a good face but this leaving was harder than he had expected it to be. All the work they had done on the house had made it a home for the two of them and Jethro knew he was really going to feel Holly's absence even more than he had in the past few months. It felt to him like they should be together in the house; not that he should be here alone anymore. It wasn't just his house anymore; it was their's.
Holly stood on the bottom stepped and looked at him there on the couch all sad and quiet. She understood how he felt without him saying anything; she felt the same way. Now they had a home together and that was something they had not had before. This made it more difficult for her to leave but she was determined to finish out her year. Jethro was right; the next three months would fly by and soon they would have all the time together they could stand.
Jethro got up and took her bag from her.
"Come on, we better get going."
"Jethro, I know what you're thinking and I feel the same way. It's our house now and we want to be here together. And we will be. Soon. Just hang in there with me for three more months."
"I will. It's fine, I just don't want you to go yet. But I won't want you to go tomorrow or the next day either."
"You know what, I bet by the time you've been retired for a month and home everyday you will be tired of seeing me all the time. We've never had that much togetherness. Who knows, it might not work."
"Bite your tongue! I don't imagine I will ever get tired of you. Vice versa maybe. Come on or you'll have to run all the way to the gate."
The next three weeks went by quickly with both of them busy at work. Holly was enjoying living on the beach but she missed Jethro every day. Walking on the beach and watching sunsets by herself were reminders of who wasn't there. She tried to compensate with lots of electronic contact but even after all this time, Jethro still wasn't much of a talker on the phone. They did face time a couple of times a week but usually late at night and she always felt she was keeping Jethro from where he needed to be; in bed asleep.
Jethro was busy with routine cases and the attendant paperwork which was the part of the job he would certainly not miss. There was still an undercurrent of chatter about some ongoing recruitment of young people in the area by a supposed radicalized Islamist but so far that was all it was; just chatter with no specifics. With Holly gone, Jethro had fallen back into working on the boat until very late and then sleeping on the couch in the basement. He just couldn't sleep very well in their bed alone so he opted for the familiarity of the couch. His back protested almost every day but he just ignored that. He had gone to the Director two weeks ago and told him he was retiring at the end of the year. Leon was understanding but not one hundred percent sure Gibbs would go through with it. He assured Jethro that he would give Tony first consideration as his replacement.
Jethro was thinking of taking a couple of days off to go see Holly when a case broke that would be the beginning of a very bad time for all of them. It started out as a routine murder investigation; if there was such a thing. A female petty officer crashed her car into an all night café and the cause was a severed carotid artery she'd obviously suffered prior to the crash. The investigation took the team to a place they never expected to go. All the bad vibes Jethro had been getting for the past several weeks came to pass.
The dead petty officer had been working as a computer expert so NCIS needed their own expert to crack her laptop and figure out what was going on. That expert turned out to be a young agent who aspired to work for Gibbs. Ned Dorneget had been around for a couple of years and had done some minor work for the MCRT. Now he was working in the cyber unit and had done some really good work there. He was as much a computer expert as McGee. Dorneget still wanted to work for Gibbs so when he was sent upstairs to help the team with a computer investigation he was thrilled. Gibbs was happy to see the young man doing so well. He liked Dorneget and thought he would be a good addition to the team in the future. Now though he needed him to crack the petty officer's computer and help them figure out why she was murdered.
What Dorneget, McGee and Abby uncovered took them all to a dark place none of them had imagined. They found a chat room that was luring vulnerable young people into terror. Eventually they traced one of the names in the chat room to a young man in the area and Tony and McGee went to the house to talk to him. They really only wanted to talk to him; they didn't know the full extent of what was going on at this point. When the young man bolted out the window and escaped in his mother's car they quickly discovered a lot of incriminating evidence in his room and on his computer. By the end of the day, Jethro was in a confrontation with the young man that would turn deadly at the last possible moment.
They located the teenager on a city bus and managed to get it stopped and all passengers evacuated safely. Now it was just Jethro and the young man with a backpack bomb and his finger on the trigger. Somehow this youngster was connected to the murder of the petty officer. Jethro talked to him calmly and quietly forcing the young man to focus on him and what he was saying. Jethro offered him a way out; encouraged him to put down the bomb and come off the bus to where his mother was waiting. The kid was listening. He put the trigger back in the pocket of the backpack as he neared the front of the bus. Jethro was standing on the steps and the young man was almost to him when, for some reason a siren sounded, startling the boy and taking his focus off Jethro. As the boy looked around at all the cops surrounding the bus he grabbed the backpack and ran back down the aisle of the bus. Jethro yelled after him and desperately tried to talk him down again but it was too late. The boy detonated the bomb and Jethro was thrown violently back away from the bus door where just seconds before he had been about to get himself and the boy safely away.
They were lucky in some ways; as lucky as you can be when a bomb detonates mere feet from where you're standing. The bomb wasn't a very large one and the bus itself shielded them from the worst of the blast. Jethro was the one nearest and Tony was not much farther away standing near the back of the bus when the bomb exploded. Jethro was still lying on the ground when McGee and Bishop came to their senses and ran to him. He had landed mostly on his back and the breath was knocked out of him. His head slammed onto the sidewalk shortly after his back absorbed most of the blow. A piece of shrapnel had cut his head just above his right eyebrow and another had cut him on the right thigh. Neither were all that serious but the head wound was bleeding quite a lot and the thigh hurt like hell. When Bishop knelt beside him Jethro was just beginning to come around and open his eyes.
"Gibbs, don't try to get up. Let a medic check you out."
He saw her lips moving and he knew what she said because he was pretty good at reading lips, but he couldn't hear her. There was a faint ringing in his ears but as he glanced around he realized he couldn't hear anything that was going on. He saw a lot of movement and activity but he didn't hear any of it. At all. Of course he tried to get up but McGee put his hand firmly on his Boss' chest and shook his head no.
"You need to wait, Boss. Paramedics are right here."
Two fire department paramedics knelt down to check him out and Jethro relaxed. He hurt all over and he was angry with himself for not getting the young man out of the bus. He let the medics do what they needed to do. They got the bleeding on his head stopped with a gauze bandage and wrapped another on around his leg after they cut away his pant leg. He indicated to them he couldn't hear them and they began insisting he go to the hospital and he was just as insistent that he didn't need to do that. He wriggled all his fingers and toes and moved his head all around which they didn't particularly want him to do but he did anyway. They looked at his eyes and took his blood pressure and then reluctantly had him sign a form declining any further medical care. Jethro was familiar with the form having signed a number of them over the years.
Finally the paramedics left him and Jethro hobbled over to where Tony and McGee were conferring. Tony started speaking to him and Jethro told him he couldn't hear him. McGee used his tablet to ask what he wanted them to do.
"Once Ducky and Palmer have the body or what's left of it get everything you can to Abby. We have to figure out who was giving this kid his direction. That's probably who killed our petty officer."
About that time Jethro's phone vibrated at his waist. He pulled it off his belt and flipped it open to see it was Holly calling. He hesitated just a moment then handed the phone to Tony.
"Tell her I'm fine but I can't hear right now. Tell her it's no big deal and I'll call her later."
Tony answered just before the call went to voice mail.
"Jethro, are you alright? I just saw the news about an explosion on a bus and it said NCIS was there. I know I shouldn't be calling you but I just need to hear your voice and make sure you're alright."
She was talking so fast Tony couldn't get a word in. He looked at Gibbs and shrugged and Jethro just shook his head. He might not have been able to hear the actual call but he could hear her in his head. He knew that frantic tone and the way her words tripped over each other. He knew she'd be worried and exasperated if he didn't answer.
"Ms. Snow, it's Tony. The Boss is okay he was just a little too close to the blast so his hearing is temporarily…."
"What do you mean too close? You mean he can't hear?"
"It's just a temporary thing, ringing you know. I'm sure it'll be fine in no time."
"Was he hurt otherwise? Were any of you hurt?"
"No we're all fine. He's okay he just got a couple of small cuts is all. Nothing serious I promise."
Jethro looked at him and made a slashing motion at this throat to indicate he wanted him to end the call.
"Can he talk to me? I'd like to at least hear his voice."
"Sure, here he is."
Tony handed the phone to Jethro who looked at it like it might bite him. Tony got him to look at him and told Jethro she wanted to hear his voice so Jethro sighed and took the phone.
"Holly, I'm fine. Just a ringing in my ears. I promise I'm okay. I'll call you as soon as I can. I love you."
Then he closed the phone and went to talk to Ducky who was entering the bus with Palmer close behind. The phone vibrated again and Jethro flipped it open to find a text message from Holly. I love you. You better not be lying to me! XOXO Jethro smiled in spite of the circumstances.
Holly had had the television in her office on but with the sound muted when she glanced up and saw a news alert from DC. She turned up the sound in time to hear the reporter say there had been a bomb blast on a city bus. The woman went on to say local police and NCIS were investigating. Holly immediately tried to call Jethro at his desk but of course he didn't answer. That was when she called the cell phone and got Tony. As soon as Jethro disconnected from her she was on the phone to the airlines to book a flight to DC. There was one leaving within hour.
Holly shut down her computer, packed her laptop in her bag and headed out of the office. She stopped only long enough to give her assistant a brief recap of what was going on and told her she would be gone for at least two days. She got in her car and headed for the airport. She didn't care if he wasn't injured seriously she knew he had been looking for a young boy and if that was who had set off the bomb she knew Jethro would be taking it hard. Anytime a child or a young person was involved in one of their cases he got even more invested than usual. She knew why and that made her even more sensitive to how he was acting and reacting during those cases. If Jethro had had any contact with this young man, if indeed he was the bomber, she knew he would take it very hard. She wanted to be there for him but the real truth was she needed to see him for herself and know he was okay. She needed to touch him and feel him all solid and strong in her arms.
After almost three hours collecting evidence and talking to bus passengers the team headed back to NCIS. Jethro was hurting all over and he still couldn't hear much of anything. He gave into Ducky's badgering and went straight to autopsy after giving the Director a quick update. Jimmy Palmer was busy at the far end of the room and Ducky simply pointed to the nearest steel table and disappeared into the back room for his medical supplies. Working as closely as he did with Jethro he was always prepared to do minor procedures since Jethro was loathe to go the hospital.
Ducky gave Jethro as thorough an exam as he had in a long time. He was concerned about concussion but fortunately and miraculously, Jethro showed no symptoms. Ducky cleaned the cut over his eye and closed it with some glue and butterfly bandages. The wound on the thigh was a bit of a different matter. It was deep and though the paramedics had cleaned and bandaged it, stitches were needed. Ducky told Jethro to lie down and prepared a syringe of deadening agent.
Jethro reached for Ducky's arm and asked, "What's that?"
Ducky looked straight at him so Jethro could see his mouth. "Just to deaden your leg so I can sew you up."
"Okay."
Jethro relaxed and closed his eyes. He kept seeing the boy running back into the bus and the whole thing blowing up right in front of him. He played the scene over and over in his head trying to understand why it happened. The more he thought about it the more determined he was to find the dirt bag responsible for that young man's death. Jethro knew in his soul that someone had poisoned that teenager's mind and left him feeling like he had no alternative. He was going to find that person and bring him to justice one way or another.
When Ducky was finished Jethro stayed on the cold steel table for another half hour until Abby came to check on him. They communicated rapidly using sign language and Ducky had Abby tell him he needed to go home, take the pain pill he was giving him and go to bed. He stressed that Jethro was going to be very sore tomorrow. That was news Jethro didn't really need. After all he'd been blown up before; he knew what the after effects would be. He wasn't looking forward to it.
Abby told Jethro what she'd found in regards to the bomb and let him know she'd have more by morning. Jethro told her to go home in another hour and promised he would do the same. He wanted everyone on top of their game tomorrow and for however many days it was going to take to catch the man they were after. Going home in an hour was the compromise he and Ducky agreed on. As often happened though one hour turned into two and then almost three. Finally after a brief, mostly one-sided because of his hearing loss, conference with the Director, Jethro walked back to his desk and found Ducky waiting for him there.
"Why are you still here, Duck? I thought everyone was gone."
"Your team just left and I'm waiting to drive you home."
"I'm fine to drive. You go on home."
Ducky was prepared for that. He had written out his response so he simply held up the paper for Jethro to read. The message said:
"I want to keep an eye on you for a couple more hours, Jethro. Just in case. In fact, I recommend when you get home you have a good soak in that new hot tub and then go to bed. As soon as you've done that I'll leave you."
Jethro knew better than to argue with Ducky so he graciously accepted his friend's direction. The hot tub idea sounded good except for the fact that he would be in there alone. But the hot water and the jets would feel good on his back he was sure. They pulled out of the Navy Yard parking garage about the time Holly's plane started its approach to Reagan National Airport. Ducky stopped for Five Guys burgers on the way home and while Jethro was upstairs putting on his swim trunks for the hot tub, Ducky laid out the food. About that time Holly was getting in a cab.
Jethro was dogged tired and it took some considerable willpower for him not to collapse on the bed once he had changed clothes. He has hungry though and the fries smelled wonderful as usual. And, he wanted to get in the hot tub. He was glad he left it heated and circulating all the time. There was very little conversation between the two men as they devoured their burgers and fries. Jethro still couldn't hear very well so they ate in comfortable silence. He was beginning to worry about his hearing but he wasn't going to ask Ducky about it; he didn't want any bad news tonight. If it wasn't back or at least a lot better tomorrow he knew he'd have to get it checked out.
When they were finished eating, Ducky cleared away the debris and pointed Jethro out the back door. About the time Jethro eased himself down in the water, Holly walked in the front door. When he heard the door close, Ducky assumed it was Abby or Tony come to check on Jethro. He turned toward the living room and was delighted to see Holly coming from the front hall.
"Oh my dear, you are just what the doctor ordered. He's in the hot tub and will be delighted to see you."
"Tell me how he is Ducky. The truth."
"Of course. He has a cut above his right eye; not very serious at all and another on his right leg that did require stitches. It's well bandaged but should be changed when he's out of the water tonight. I've left some bandages on the table in the living room. He can't hear right now. That, I hope is temporary. If it's not significantly better or fully restored tomorrow he'll need to have it checked. He will be very sore tomorrow from being thrown back onto the sidewalk. He landed on his back and did hit his head but I've seen no signs of concussion. The best thing for him is the soak in the tub and you being here."
"Thank you Ducky. Give me just two minutes will you before you go?"
"Certainly."
Holly ran up the stairs and quickly changed into a bathing suit and cover-up. Then she returned to the kitchen and gave Ducky a heartfelt hug. She knew how much he loved Jethro and that the feeling was mutual. She understood this was difficult for Ducky to deal with especially since he had known Jethro for so long.
"I don't know what Jethro would do without you Ducky. Thank you so much."
"You are welcome. Now go out there and see to my patient. Not too long in the water you know. Good night my dear."
"Night Ducky."
Holly stepped out the back door and saw Jethro nearly completely submerged in the water with his back to her. She didn't want to startle him so she flicked the light on and off quickly then stepped up behind him. She knew he was exhausted because he had barely started to turn around when she leaned down and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him on the temple.
The look on his face when he saw it was her took her breath away. He was surprised of course and what she saw was pure joy and love and she was so very glad she had come.
It took him a moment to form a greeting; he was so damn happy to see her he didn't know what to say. All he could do was hold out his hand for her and try not to let her see the tears he knew were in his eyes.
Holly stepped into the hot tub and straight into his arms. Jethro wrapped himself around her and held on tight. Her being there meant everything to him. After a long embrace Holly pulled back just enough to be able to see his face. She placed a gentle kiss to his cut and then stroked his face softly with her fingertips before finally giving him the hello kiss that he wanted. Jethro let her be in charge for a while but then he took over the kiss and it got very serious very quickly. Eventually they both eased off and Jenny knelt in front of him with her hands on his thighs.
"Hi."
"Hi yourself. You didn't have to come. I'm glad you did but I'm alright."
"Yes, I did have to come. I needed to see you and hold you and have you hold me. I love you."
"You have no idea what having you come all that way means to me. God, I'm so glad you're here."
It still sometimes surprised her that Jethro was so grateful for the small things she did for him. Whether it was flying home tonight or fixing his favorite meal when she knew the case was bad or leaving him alone to brood in the basement he never failed to tell her how much he appreciated her efforts. That alone told her Jethro would never take them for granted. Days like today were a scary reminder that she couldn't either.
Holly snuggled into his side and they relaxed and let the water and the still night wash over them. The pain pill Ducky had given him at supper was kicking in so Jethro decided they better get out while he could still manage it.
"C'mon, lets go in."
Holly got out and got the towels and Jethro carefully stepped out behind her. His back was sore but he knew it would be worse in the morning.
"Maybe a back rub would be a good idea. And in the morning we'll come back out for a while before you go to work."
"Two good ideas."
They made their way in the house and upstairs to the bedroom. Jethro stretched out on his stomach and Holly carefully straddled his thighs, her knees on either side of his butt. She warmed some massage oil in her hands and started working her magic on his shoulders and eventually all the way down his back. For a woman with small hands she was plenty strong and skilled when it came to giving quality back rubs. Jethro sighed and groaned softly and before she was finished he was sound asleep. Holly washed her hands and then slipped into bed beside him. They slept soundly until about three o'clock when Jethro woke her up thrashing in the bed and yelling "no".
Holly sat up and turned on the bedside light. She had learned long ago that it paid to be careful when trying to wake Jethro from a nightmare. She held one of his hands in both of hers and called his name, first quietly and then a little louder and then she remembered he couldn't hear her. She let go of his hand and put her hands on either side of his face and stopped him from turning his head side to side. Finally he opened his eyes. He stared at her for a moment then put his hands gently on her wrists. Holly leaned down and kissed him. Then she laid down on him and Jethro wrapped his arms around her.
She could feel his heart pounding against her chest and the deep breaths he was taking to try and calm down. She simply stretched out on him and nestled her head under his chin. Jethro began running his hands up and down her back, soothing himself and her at the same time. Pretty soon Holly realized he wasn't going back to sleep; he was waking up. At least part of him was. As he calmed down from the dream, he was getting aroused by having her lying on him, both of them naked and both of them without any sex for almost a month. Nature quickly took its course and Jethro rolled them over, the nightmare forgotten.
Their love-making started out as a slow, seductive exploration of each other but after a few minutes it was as if the both realized what they almost lost earlier in the day and things quickly went to urgent and very needy. All the stress of the day; the news, getting home, seeing her lover hurt, finally came crashing down on her and Holly couldn't get enough of Jethro. Her hands and her mouth were everywhere. She wanted everything of him and she wanted to give him all of herself. And, she wanted it to last so every time Jethro thought they were about to fall apart together she slowed them down and they started over.
"You're killin' me here, babe."
Holly was lying on him after about their fourth position change and they were both breathing hard, sweaty and very much in need of release. Jethro could barely get out that short pleading sentence. He was inside her and she was barely moving back and forth, teasing and driving him crazy. She leaned down, her breasts rubbing back and forth on his chest while his hands gripped her butt and he tried to get her moving faster.
"I don't ever want this to end. I want to stay like this with you forever."
"Can't happen. As much as I like this, you know you'll like the ending even better. If we ever get there that is."
Together they realized he had heard what she said. Just barely but he did hear her voice.
"Say something else."
"I adore you."
"I can hear you. Not real good but definitely I can hear you. Keep talking."
Instead, she pushed up and held herself above him and started moving.
"Finish it lover."
That required no verbal response. Jethro rolled them over and in no time they had reached the pinnacle again and this time Jethro took them crashing down the other side. And he was right, Holly liked the ending just fine.
Just a couple of hours after they fell back to sleep the alarm went off and Jethro, for the first time in a very long time was happy to hear the damn thing. He slipped out of bed, took care of business in the bathroom then went downstairs to make coffee. His whole body ached but he figured he was pretty lucky that was all he had to deal with . As he was starting his second cup of coffee, Holly came down and they took their coffee to the hot tub for an early morning soak. That and three Tylenol followed by a shower with a beautiful woman and Jethro was good to go.
"Go back to work babe. I'm okay and I know you have things going on down there that you need to deal with."
Holly was reluctant to leave but he was right; she was in the middle of a fundraising campaign that would be very important for the shelter and their programs for the next year. She needed to be in Tampa but she wanted to be here, at home with Jethro. They had not talked at all about the case or the boy who blew himself up. She knew they might never talk about it and that was alright as long as Jethro knew he could talk to her if he needed to.
"Yes, I need to go back. Jethro, do you want to talk about the boy? Or anything?"
"Not yet. I will but right now I need to focus on tracking down the guy behind all this. That kid wasn't acting on his own initiative. Don't worry, I'm okay."
That was exactly what she had expected. She kissed him goodbye at the door and thirty minutes later a cab arrived to take her to National Airport and she was on her way back to Florida.
Jethro went back to work and they began looking for the bad guy in earnest. Dorneget and McGee were hot on the trail through the kid's computer but it was going to take some time. In the meantime they had a new case so Jethro took Tony and Bishop with him and left McGee at the Navy Yard working with Dorneget. Nothing happened for a couple of days but then they got a break and found a connection between the bad guy they were looking for and a woman they had arrested a few months prior for trying to kill a visiting Iman. She willingly gave the name of the Calling leader, Daniel Budd, to Tony and Bishop and the hunt got a little bit easier.
That name led them to a building where they found a young boy hiding, with a gun ready supposedly, to kill anyone who came in. Luckily, he wasn't really up to the task and Jethro was able to disarm him. The boy's name was Luke but he refused to talk to Jethro. His parents were astounded to learn of his involvement with the group but admitted he was unhappy and they were worried about him. The case and the boy began to eat at Jethro. There were so many threads to pull and each one seemed to lead to another one but they weren't able to unravel the whole thing. The child troubled Jethro because he couldn't get him to talk to him. He feared the child was in danger and after Jethro found Luke's parents murdered he was more sure than ever that Luke needed protection. But something else was going on that Jethro couldn't get a handle on. He began hearing Mike Franks in his head warning him the boy was dangerous. He ignored that but Mike wouldn't go away.
Every day Jethro asked Dorneget when he was going to find the leader of the Calling. They had his name and other people around the world were looking for him but he was a ghost. One night, very late, as he was leaving, Jethro asked Dorneget again and the answer was the same as every other time; "I'm almost there" and the young agent kept plugging away on his computer. Jethro just shook his head and told him to go home.
The nights Jethro managed to go home he was back on the couch in the basement the first couple of nights Holly was gone but she had made him promise her he'd use the bed so he did after that. They talked on the phone every day and even did face time on occasion. Fall had arrived and Jethro knew his time was running out at NCIS. He knew he wanted to retire but at least three times a week he had to ask himself if he was sure. The answer was the same one Dorneget gave him, 'I'm almost there'.
One night Jethro and Ducky met for dinner at the medical examiner's urging. He was worried that catching the guy behind The Calling had become an obsession with Jethro, much like his hunt for Ari Haswari had been many years before. Ducky was concerned that if they didn't find the man before the end of the year Jethro would postpone his retirement.
"Is young Dorneget having any luck?"
"He says he's close. I told him today I'd give him the rest of the week then I was sending him back downstairs."
"Tomorrow is Friday you know."
"I know. He better hurry."
"And if this monster isn't caught before the end of the year?"
Jethro didn't answer for a while but finally he said, "Then it will be DiNozzo's problem."
"Really?"
"I promised her Ducky. I won't break that promise."
"Even if she gave her permission?"
"She won't have the chance. I won't let her. Tony and Tim will find him if we don't before I leave."
The next morning Dorneget was waiting for Jethro when he arrived at seven thirty. Before Jethro was seated at his desk Dorneget was right here, clicker in hand.
"I found him. He's in Egypt. At least he was yesterday."
Jethro looked at the young man who hadn't been to bed in at least two days. That was the kind of devotion and single-mindedness Jethro admired and wanted on his team.
"Good work Dorneget. Let's go tell the director."
When they left the Director's office later that morning, Dorneget and McGee were on their way to Cairo and from that morning on the case began to spin out of control. Mike Franks kept warning and nagging him about Luke but Jethro refused to accept that the boy was as dangerous as his old boss wanted him to believe. He told himself Luke was just a lost boy, now an orphan and he just needed someone to believe in him and keep him safe until he found his way again. They had Luke in a safe place with an agent and a social worker staying with him. In the past Jethro would have taken him home with him but he didn't this time. Maybe Mike's voice was having some effect because Jethro hadn't felt comfortable taking him to what used to be just his house but was now, finally, his home. He told himself it was because he wasn't living there alone anymore. Maybe that was it. Or maybe he was just a little bit afraid of what the boy would do.
Two days later Director Vance stepped out on the walkway and motioned for Jethro to come up the stairs. When Jethro stepped into the Director's office he knew immediately it was bad news.
"Who is it?"
"Dorneget. At the hotel in Cairo. McGee got some intel from the prisoner he was interrogating and warned him. Ned got a lot of people to safety but somehow the bomb was exploded and he was killed. It was a series of the mines set to detonate remotely."
"Dammit."
Jethro scrubbed his hands over his face and paced back and forth in the room. He was furious and heartbroken at the same time. Even though Dorneget didn't actually work for him Jethro felt responsible for him. It was their case he was working on.
"I'm going to get this bastard if it's the very last thing I do, Leon. This won't stand!"
"I hear you. McGee's there handling the arrangements to get him back here. We know who this guy is. We'll put all our resources into finding him. Lots of other people want him too so we'll have help."
There wasn't anymore to say so Jethro left to tell Tony and Bishop and the rest of them what had happened.
Holly had the television on and muted in her office and she happened to glance up in time to see a news bulletin about a bombing at a hotel in Cairo. She didn't pay much attention; sadly these sorts of alerts were all too common these days. About two hours later she was taking a break and turned up the sound when a report came on with more details. She heard the reporter say an American had been killed and then she heard him say the dead man was possibly a US federal agent and then she didn't hear anything else. She knew McGee was overseas with another agent because Jethro had told her about it two days ago. He had told her about Agent Dorneget and how far he had come as a young agent in just the past year. She could tell Jethro really liked the young man and thought he had a bright future with the agency. Of course she also knew McGee and how much Jethro cared about him. Either way, is this was about them, and she was sure it was, this was going to be a bad situation.
Instead of calling Jethro which was what she wanted to do, she called Ducky.
"Dr. Mallard."
"Ducky it's Holly."
"Ah, hello my dear. I thought you might call."
"Please tell me it's not McGee. But then I don't want it to be the other young man either."
"No, I'm afraid Agent Dorneget was killed. McGee was away from the area at the time."
"Oh my god. Jethro just talked to me about him a few days ago and how well he was doing. I'm so sorry Ducky."
"Yes, young Ned was an up and coming agent that is for sure. This will be a difficulty for all of us. Of course, you know how Jethro is; he'll want to shoulder the blame for sending the two of them over there."
"But wasn't that the Director's call?"
"Yes of course but McGee is Jethro's agent and thus, in his mind, his responsibility no matter where he is. And, he will feel the same about Agent Dorneget."
"I didn't want to call Jethro because I know he's probably busy and he won't talk about it yet anyway. But could you get a message to him that I called and I want him to know I'm thinking about him. About all of you really. Do you think I should come home, Ducky?"
"I know Jethro would love to see you but I don't think it's necessary. He will be working non-stop now for a few days. Call him tonight. I'll tell him you called and I'll make sure he takes time to talk with you sometime today."
"Thank you Ducky. I'll call him this evening."
About two hours after that call Jethro walked into autopsy to advise Ducky that Dorneget's body was on the way back to the States.
"We'll meet the plane at Dover in the morning and the body will be brought here."
"Mr. Palmer and I will be ready. I'm sorry Jethro, I know you cared for the young man."
"He was just coming into his own. Just figuring it out. A damn waste."
Ducky heard the frustration and the pain in his friend's voice.
"Jethro, Holly called earlier. She asked me to tell you she's thinking of you. Maybe you should take a few minutes and call her. I can give you some privacy."
He didn't answer for a long few moments and then Jethro said, "Yeah, that's probably a good idea. Thanks Duck."
When he was alone in the cold, quiet room, Jethro sat down in Ducky's chair and pulled out his phone. He hit the speed dial and waited for Holly to answer. Holly was sitting on the porch of the little house in Florida watching the waves roll onto the beach and wishing she was with Jethro in their house in DC. She picked up the phone when Jethro's ringtone rang out.
"Hi, I was just thinking about you. How you doin'?"
"Okay. Wish I could have one of your hugs though."
"I can be there in a few hours."
"No, that's tempting but I won't be going home for a while. Just talk to me for a while."
So that's what she did. She told him she loved him and then she just talked about her day and what was going on at work. She told him a funny story about a young woman at the shelter and about the guy who had been sleeping on the beach for three days."
"He still there?"
"No, he finally moved on this morning. I think the cops told him he had to go so he packed up his umbrella and chair and took off. Can't say I'm sorry to see him go."
Just hearing her voice made Jethro feel better. The idea that one of his agents was dead was hard for him to accept. While Dorneget didn't technically work for him Jethro had thought in the back of his mind that Ned would be a good fit for the team when he retired. He just couldn't believe this was happening.
"Jethro, take care of yourself. You have a lot on your plate right now and I worry about you. I know you've managed just fine for a long time without me but now that you've got me you have to put up with me worrying. And nagging."
"I appreciate your nagging. I'll be fine. We have a lot of work to do but we'll find this guy. I love you. Thanks for calling earlier. Call me tomorrow okay?"
"I will. I love you so much, Jethro. Please be safe."
"I will. Bye."
Jethro stayed there in Ducky's chair until the Medical Examiner came back. Neither man said anything, both comfortable with the silence for a while. Ducky took the quiet time to reflect on how Jethro was going to manage this latest crisis. Ducky knew Jethro was shaken by young Dorneget's death but he also knew his friend would weather this loss better than other recent losses because of the woman he had just been on the phone with. No one else knew Jethro as well as Ducky did. No one else still living had seen the marriages begin and end and the roller coaster ride that had been the love affair between Jethro and Jenny. Ducky had weathered many a storm with Jethro and been on the receiving end of many an irate explosion when hurt turned to anger and there was no one else at whom to direct said anger.
This relationship between Jethro and Ms. Snow had lasted longer than two of his marriages. Ducky was cautiously optimistic that this time Jethro had found a woman who would be there for him no matter what happened. She certainly seemed to understand Jethro's need for space and time and that was something the wives never did. The relationship had surprised Ducky in the beginning and worried him some too but after seeing the subtle changes in his friend he realized this was a good thing; a very good thing in fact. Jethro was still as driven in his work as ever but he was more patient, calmer and less prone to shutting himself off from everyone else. In short, he was apparently finally happy.
Ducky finally broke the silence, "How is Holly?"
"She's fine. Wanted to know if she should come home. I told her no. Wanted her to but I'm not going to be home anyway for a while so what would be the point?"
"I thought as much. It must feel good to have her offer though."
"Yes. We need to figure this thing out Ducky and find this dirt bag."
"You will. I imagine this is much bigger than anyone originally thought. On another topic, Jethro, have you told the Director of your plans to retire?"
"Yes. Don't think he believed me though. Guess when I'm not here after the first of the year he'll believe it. He said he'd give Tony first consideration to take over the MCRT."
"Wise decision. So, this may be your last big case."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. I going to get this guy that killed Dorneget before I'm gone."
"What about your promise?"
"This just might change things. I can't let this go, Duck."
"I know."
The next several days were tedious and painful for all of them. Dorneget's mother was at Dover when the body arrived and they all met her for the first time. None of them were aware she was with the CIA until that day. She let Gibbs and Director Vance know in no uncertain terms that she would be working with them going forward until her son's killer was dealt with. Always wary of the CIA under any circumstance, Jethro nevertheless welcomed her help.
They dealt with the autopsy, the investigation of the bomb, misinformation and more but Jethro felt they were no closer to finding the man they wanted. Abby and Tim were combing the internet and the dark web and every day they had more names of children being lured into evil and mayhem but no leader so far. Then, Luke disappeared and Jethro knew they were coming to the end game pretty soon.
Mike Franks was constantly in Jethro's psyche. He warned him that Luke was dangerous and that he had been too careful of the boy's feelings and had not tried hard enough to break him. Jethro was beginning to doubt himself. He felt completely out of his element because he couldn't contribute to the investigation in any significant way; it was all computers and overseas conferences in MTAC. Coffee was about the only thing keeping him going because he couldn't sleep and he had no appetite. Tony pushed pizza and a burger at him every now and then but it didn't help much. He missed Holly but on the other hand he was glad she wasn't there. This was one of those times that he needed to be alone when he wasn't at work. He wanted to drink and brood and argue with Mike. He also wanted to feel the Holly pressed against him, loving him, her softness against his hard edges. He settled for his bourbon and a night of sanding the boat. That small solace was broken when Ducky arrived at the head of the stairs.
"Duck, what're you doin' here so late?"
"I wanted to check on you my friend. You were in a sorry state when last I saw you this evening. Is it anything talking might help?"
Jethro put down his tools and poured Ducky a measure of his best bourbon in a clean glass. Holly insisted he not drink out of jars only moments free of screws, nails, or other sundry bits of hardware thus he had a supply of clean glasses at his disposal on the workbench. Jethro leaned against the workbench and Ducky found a seat on a stool nearby.
"I wish talkin' would do the trick but I don't think it will."
"What's got you so discouraged, Jethro?"
"It's like chasing the wind, Duck. I can't see this guy, can't hear him, hell I don't even know for sure what he looks like. All these kids are disappearin' and no one knows where they are."
"And young Luke slipped through your fingers."
"Yeah. Mike was in my head all the time telling me the kid was dangerous and I was too easy on him but I didn't want to hear that. My gut was telling me the same thing and I ignored that too."
Ducky decided since Jethro seemed willing to talk he would press on.
"And then there's young Ned."
"Yeah. Dorneget. Never saw that comin'. I hate sayin' this but the first thing I thought was thank god it's not McGee."
"I know. I'm afraid that would have been a much harsher blow for us all. No disrespect meant to Agent Dorneget of course."
They were silent then for a while. Jethro stared into his glass and Ducky watched him, waiting for whatever would come next. When nothing did he thought maybe they should change the topic.
"Let's talk about a more pleasant subject. How is Ms. Snow?"
"She's fine. Busy but she likes it down there. Especially with winter around the corner. She really hates the cold."
"You know Jethro when the two of you got together I was worried about you. I wasn't sure she would be good for you but I have to admit I was wrong. I have not seen you in such a good place in many years, if ever actually."
Jethro smiled. Ducky was right, he was in a very good place in his personal life. He was intrigued that Ducky had been worried about Holly and him.
"What had you worried Duck?"
"Well, I was concerned that her notoriety would cause you problems. That you would be bothered by paparazzi or some such thing. I gather that has not been an issue."
"Nope. Couple of times someone tried to approach her but I just looked at them and they went away. I think Holly was worried about the same thing but I never thought about it. I guess I was so smitten I didn't really care what other people thought. She worried her more recent troubles would hurt me professionally. I told her I'd done plenty over the years to screw that up but I was still workin' so she shouldn't worry about that."
Ducky smiled. He could well imagine some unsuspecting fellow stepping into range of a "Gibbs Glare" and not being able to get away quick enough. The conversation seemed to be having a relaxing effect on Jethro so Ducky carried on.
"Tell me how you two started dating or whatever you call it these days. If you don't mind of course."
Jethro realized Ducky was trying to take his mind off the case and he was grateful for that. He didn't mind talking about personal things with Ducky, at least most of the time. Tonight it was helping so he happily complied.
"Remember when I wanted her to help us catch that killer? She wanted to make a deal for her help. She wanted to have dinner with me; no strings, just the two of us. So, I agreed. Didn't take me long to decide; I wanted that killer but I also wanted to see her again and she had given me the perfect excuse."
"Ah, a good deal for all concerned."
"Yes. Anyway, I fixed her a steak and we had a nice time. Nothing spectacular but okay. I was definitely interested but I was reluctant given the fact that she was on speaking terms with some pretty powerful and well off people. I didn't figure I fit into her circle. About two weeks later she called and asked me to meet her for coffee early one morning. After that we started having breakfast at the diner a couple times a week. That went on for a month or so and then she asked me to dinner at her place."
"She seems to have done most of the work up to that point, my friend."
"True. That night we talked for hours and hours. I told her about Shannon and Kelly and Jenny and of course the wives. She told me about how she got started in the business. We went through a couple bottles of wine and fell asleep on the couch about two o'clock in the morning. I'd say that was one of the best nights I'd had with a lady in a long time. It wasn't all sad stuff. We laughed. A lot as a matter of fact. Holly's really smart and funny and she's very easy for me to talk to and be with. I think that night at her house was when I first realized we had something special going for us. It may not be the most conventional relationship but I don't care. I really love her, Duck."
"And she you."
"Yeah, imagine that."
"She seems to take your job and it's attendant problems in stride. She understands your need for space, I gather."
"Oh yeah, she never pushes when it comes to me talking about work. She's the most patient person I've ever been with. Holly has a talent for reading people and she's been reading me like a large print book from the very first time we met. She sees right through any bullshit I might try and give her. Not that I'd ever want to, but lying to Holly would be a complete waste of effort."
"So where is all this taking the two of you?"
"I hope to hold onto her for as long as she'll have me. She says that's forever and I'm in favor of that. When I retire we'll split our time between here and Florida I imagine. Winters down there or some place else warm. I want to travel some and we're going to sail down south for a while next year. I just want to have as much time with her as she can stand. I feel like I need to make up for all the time I spent being alone and miserable."
"Marriage?"
"I don't think so. We've talked about it of course but Holly says she doesn't need it. I certainly don't. We're very happy the way things are. We talked about it for legal reasons but it's not really necessary. Both of us have the other in our wills so there won't be any problems in case something happens. Which brings me to something I've meant to tell you. You are my emergency contact as always but I want Holly to have a say about anything medical that needs to be decided. She knows, as you do, what I want and don't want. I know you'd consult with her anyway I just wanted to make sure you know I want her to be in on any decisions you have to make."
"Of course. I will remember that but hope to never have to exercise it. I expect to die of old age long before you my friend."
"Let's hope we all die of old age."
"Alright my friend. I will leave you and I want you to get some sleep. You will catch up to this Calling fellow and when you do I want you to be in top shape. I have a feeling with Agent Dorneget's mother in the mix you'll have some help you might otherwise not have available to you."
"Well, she knows the people who can find him I'm sure. And, she's very persuasive so if the spooks can find him they will. For her. I'll take any help I can get at this point."
"Indeed. Good night, Jethro."
"Night Duck. And thanks."
"You are most welcome."
Jethro walked Ducky to the front door and out to his car. When he got back inside the phone was ringing.
"Yeah, Gibbs."
"Hi."
It was near midnight and that was way past when Holly was normally in bed. Jethro was instantly on alert.
"Holly, you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Sorry to worry you. I just couldn't sleep and I hoped maybe you were still awake. Did I wake you?"
"No, I was just walking Ducky to his car. He stopped by to talk. Make sure I was okay. We had a rough couple of days. Why can't you sleep?"
"One of the young girls who had been at the shelter a couple of times over the past month went back to her abuser last week and she was found dead this afternoon. The boyfriend, to use the term loosely, apparently got angry that she didn't fix him lunch like he wanted and he killed her."
"Shit Holly, I'm sorry. They get the guy?"
"Yes. In fact he tried to shoot it out with the police and he lost. Can't say I'm particularly bothered by that. She just couldn't stay away from him no matter what anyone said. We had some good talks when she was here but in the end she thought he was her only option. So damn frustrating."
"Lot of that going around."
"Yes, I'm sure you've had your fill of it too. So, enough of that. What did you and Ducky talk about?"
"You mostly."
"Me? How interesting."
"Well, you and me. He asked me how we got started. He said he was worried for me when we got together. Thought you might not be good for me but now he's happy to say he was wrong."
"I'm glad he approves. I know his opinion matters to you. Why, if I may ask, did he worry?"
"He said he was afraid we'd be bothered by gossip people and stuff like that."
"Did you tell him you glared the first two away and no one else ever bothered?"
"Exactly. Then I told him about you asking me out all the time. He said it appeared you had done all the work in the beginning. I agreed. I'm glad you did by the way."
"Would you have called me if I hadn't called you after the steak? I've always wondered but I don't think I've ever asked you that."
"I really wanted to."
"But?"
"I didn't figure I would fit into you circle. I really didn't think you'd be interested. You know a lot of much more interesting guys."
"Not even one. The fact that you didn't fit into my circle as you call it and obviously didn't want to is what interested me. The call I made asking you to coffee was the smartest thing I'd done in a long time."
"Meeting you for coffee was the smartest thing I'd done in a long time. I'm sure glad you were persistent."
"Me too. So, I guess your case isn't going any better?"
"Nope. It will though. Dorneget's mom will keep the pressure on her agency and that will help. I really want to find Luke as much as anything."
"You will. Now, promise me you're going to bed soon."
"I'm already on the way. Been getting there while we talked. You need to get some sleep too. Stop blaming yourself for that girl getting killed. She made her choice. You did your best and that's all you can do. Right?"
"Yes, you're right. The same goes for you and Luke. Right?"
"Yeah. Holly, I love you. Do you think you can come up here next weekend?"
"Yes, I can. I'll get the Saturday morning flight. I love you Jethro. Go to bed."
"You too. Bye."
Jethro was in a much better frame of mind as he brushed his teeth and got ready for bed. He lay awake for a while thinking about what he and Holly would do next weekend. Maybe have one last cookout before it got cold. Maybe just take a walk on the Mall and then snuggle the day away in front of a fire. He fell asleep with a smile on his face looking forward to seeing Holly in just a few short days. If he had known what the week ahead held he would not have slept well or at all.
TBC