Chapter Twenty
E.T. Phone Home
Gibbs had just finished his solitary meal and was putting his empty plate into the sink to wash when he heard his front door open. He wasn't expecting anyone, but he knew Tony had returned from his weekend away, and he hoped his SFA might've stopped by. He'd sounded really good and upbeat on the phone, but Gibbs knew how masterful DiNozzo was at putting up a good front. Gibbs wanted to see with his own eyes.
He was therefore surprised when no one immediately appeared in the kitchen. The opening of the door hadn't been quiet or given him the impression of stealth, so he wasn't alarmed, merely curious. He turned the water off, dried his hands and peered around the corner into his living room.
It wasn't Tony, but Jenny Shepherd looking uncharacteristically hesitant as she fumbled with her keys, finally placing them inside the coffee mug above his fireplace where he stored his own. She looked tired and slightly disheveled, so unlike her usual impeccable appearance.
Gibbs frowned. He hadn't seen or heard from her since her indefinite suspension. Fornell had gleefully refused to give him any details of the investigation, and he'd been angry enough at her not to pursue it. Therefore, he had no idea how much trouble she was in, or if she'd ever return to NCIS.
"Jenny," he said, alerting her to his scrutiny.
She stilled, removing her hand from the coffee mug and turning around slowly. "Hello, Jethro," she said, her voice a dull monotone.
"Been wondering about you," he said, leaning against the wall.
"You can't have been wondering too hard. I don't remember any calls," she said coolly.
He could hear the recrimination in her tone but was unfazed by it. "Reckoned you'd call when you were ready to talk."
She rolled her eyes, moving to sit on the sofa uninvited. She slipped off her shoes before curling her legs to tuck her feet beneath her. "Right. I should've remembered that starting a conversation is always a struggle for you."
Gibbs folded his arms across his chest, refusing to be baited. "Tried that several times – wasn't about to do it again," he said.
"Do you know where Agent DiNozzo is?" she asked abruptly, narrowing her eyes. She'd obviously given up the pretense that this was a social call.
"Not here," he said, puzzled by her behavior.
"I dropped by his apartment several times to check on his recovery, but he wasn't there," she said.
Gibbs raised an eyebrow and mimicked, "To check on his recovery? Come on, Jen. You can do better than that."
She twisted her lips in irritation. "His apartment is empty."
Gibbs shrugged. "Maybe he just didn't answer the door."
"No. I ran into a little girl in the hallway, and she said she was feeding his fish for a few days while he was out of town."
"Never known anyone to dote on a goldfish the way he does," Gibbs replied with fond exasperation.
"Do you know where he went, Jethro?" she asked.
He jerked his head upward in an affirmative motion.
"I need to know," she said, her eyes boring into him.
"You don't need to know anything, you want to know," he growled.
"Fine – I want to know. Where is he?" she demanded.
"I'm not about to betray DiNozzo's trust, but you had to know that even before you came here. So, what are you up to?" he asked, still standing.
He knew DiNozzo was planning on returning to the office within the next several days as soon as his physical therapist cleared him, but he wasn't about to share that information. His gut told him she already knew it, but she wanted to get to him before he returned to work.
Jenny scowled. "Yes, I figured your loyalty would remain with your partner, but since I was also your partner once, I was hoping you'd help me out."
Images of their time together in Paris and Serbia flashed through his mind, hot and sensual, but along with them came memories of her clouded judgement and single-minded pursuit of La Grenouille. She'd nearly gotten DiNozzo killed, and he couldn't allow her another opportunity.
"Rene Benoit is dead. Your father is dead. You can't change that, and there are no more answers to find," Gibbs said.
Jenny fired up at once, straightening her posture and nearly spitting with outrage. "Don't you dare tell me to give up, because I already told you I won't until my father's name is cleared. Your own history with obsessive behavior makes you trying to tell me to stop more than a shade hypocritical," she snarled.
"This isn't about me. The answers you want aren't there. Ruining your career over it isn't something any parent would want," he said.
"He deserves to have his name cleared, and I know Jeanne Benoit is the key to getting that to happen," she said.
"You don't know that. You just want it to be the case," he shouted.
"That's true, and I'm going to find a way," she said stubbornly.
"Not if you end up in prison. At least back off until the FBI completes its investigation," he said, hoping to at least slow her down until she came to her senses.
"I don't have time to wait. I need to find Agent DiNozzo. If you're not going to help me, I'll find him another way," she said, moving her feet to the floor and attempting to stand.
Gibbs reached out and stopped her, laying a restraining hand on her upper arm. "What do you mean you don't you have time?"
"Remove your hand, Jethro, or I will have you written up," she said, eyes glinting.
Gibbs removed his hand, but he wasn't finished. "Does your lack of time have anything to do with the medical tests you had Ducky run?" he asked, watching her closely.
Bingo! Her eyes widened in shock, and she pulled back, staring at him warily. She'd made no further attempt to rise.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, voice strained.
"Yes, you do. I know about the tests, and although Ducky wouldn't tell me who he was running them for, I know there's no one else who he'd stick his neck out that far. What's going on, Jen?" he asked, lowering to sit beside her, his voice softening. Despite her recklessness, he really didn't want anything to happen to her.
Jenny slumped. "I have a brain tumor. It's inoperable," she said bluntly.
Gibbs took her hand, squeezing it gently. Even though he'd suspected something was wrong, he was unprepared, and he felt as if he'd been sucker punched. As typical in times of great emotional upheaval, he was at a loss for words and could only try to convey his sympathy through his firm grip on her hand.
"There's nothing you can do to fix it," she said as if reading his mind. "If you want to help me, then tell me where DiNozzo is. I'm going to clear my father's name before I no longer can, with or without your help," she said, meeting his eyes and challenging him to deny her.
Gibbs did want to help her but not by throwing DiNozzo into her path. His gut churned, and something else clicked into place.
"Is this tumor affecting your cognitive abilities?" he asked, eyes narrowing. He remembered the crazed lunatic who'd sent a letter filled with the plague to NCIS. Her rash actions had also nearly cost DiNozzo his life, and they'd also been the result of an inoperable brain tumor.
"My cognitive abilities are just fine. I can see you're still not going to help me, so I'll have to turn to some of my other contacts," she said. Her voice was resigned, but Gibbs could hear the underlying threat.
"What does that mean?" he asked, a warning in his tone.
"Unlike you, Eli David has been very helpful in my quest to clear my father's name. I think it's time I ask for an additional favor," she said, standing up and slipping into her shoes.
This time, he didn't stop her but instead stared at her incredulously.
"Eli David? Ziva's father? Is he the one who sent you on this crusade?" he asked.
Gibbs didn't know much about him, but any man who raised his own children to be trained killers was suspect in his book. Is that where Jenny had learned about her father's dealings with Rene Benoit? How could she possibly not suspect he was using her? Why would he help if there wasn't something in it for him? This whole mess was getting more putrid by the day.
Was this how Ziva's unusual position at NCIS came into play? Ziva was due back in the office this week, as well, and Gibbs couldn't help but feel that everything was coming to a head.
"Eli is an old friend, and our acquaintance has been mutually beneficial. He understands my need to defend my father's reputation. Didn't you once tell me you do what you have to do for family?" she asked pointedly.
"Family would never ask you to throw your life and reputation away on a pipe dream," he replied. "You should focus on your health – get a second opinion."
"I've had multiple opinions, and they all say the same thing. I'm going to find Agent DiNozzo, he's going to get me in touch with Jeanne Benoit, and she's going to give me the proof I need. I will do this, regardless of your lack of assistance," she said, reclaiming her keys from the mug above the fireplace and moving toward the door.
Gibbs knew that DiNozzo would never allow her near Jeanne, and he really couldn't blame him. She was unstable, and he was now certain she'd been the one to kill La Grenouille no matter what Trent Kort had inferred. He'd bet that the arms dealer either couldn't or wouldn't tell her what she wanted to hear.
"The CIA insists Benoit wasn't involved in your father's death," he said, trying one last attempt to stop her.
"Since when do you trust the CIA?" she sneered.
"I don't, but if you're getting the same answer from all directions, maybe you ought to listen," he said.
/* /* /* /*
As Tony gradually awoke, he snuggled deeper into the comfort surrounding him, pulling the warm body beside him closer. Eventually, awareness set in, and he remembered that he was in Jeanne's hotel room. They'd arrived back from Boston several days ago, and they'd spent the first night at his apartment. He was concerned about the Director tracking her, but he also had an uneasy feeling that it could be one of her father's other nefarious associates. Someone had blown up his car trying to get to her, and although he suspected it was Trent Kort, he couldn't be sure. His instinct was telling him the one tracking Jeanne was Director Shepherd, but he'd always been cautious when it came to safety.
And Jeanne's safety was his responsibility since he'd been the one to drag her into this whole mess.
Jeanne, however, had a mind of her own. She wanted her own place, and Tony really couldn't blame her for that. Their relationship had only recently been renewed, and he needed a moment here and there to collect himself, as well. Neither wanted to make another big mistake.
Plus, Jeanne really hated his bed.
Tony had never given it much thought. It was simply a place to sleep when his body required rest. A single might've worked for two in college when there were no other options, but Jeanne wasn't about to go back to living like a co-ed.
So, they'd returned to her hotel and registered her under the name Cathy Ames – another Jane Seymour character from the East of Eden miniseries. Tony had painstakingly checked the security at the hotel, and he insisted she kept her door locked and bolted when he wasn't there. Gibbs had called to warn him that Director Shepherd was still determined to find Jeanne.
Tony was due to start back on desk duty this morning, and while he was more than thrilled to be going back, a part of him would miss the lazy days spent getting reacquainted with Jeanne. He was also worried about leaving her on her own. She scoffed at this, saying she was more than capable of looking after herself. While he had no doubt this was true when it came to her typical life – being with him changed things. He was a trouble magnet anyway, never mind with a Director of a Federal agency carrying a relentless grudge.
He tried to gently remove his arm, which was pinned beneath Jeanne, without waking her, but she rolled over, her sleepy eyes blinking serenely.
"Is it morning already?" she asked drowsily.
Tony leaned over and kissed her quickly. "It is – and my boss definitely won't take any excuses for being late on my first day back. Want to meet at my place for dinner?"
The one thing Jeanne didn't like about living at a hotel was all the take-out food, so they'd been preparing meals together in his apartment.
"Sounds good. When do you get off?" she asked.
Tony grinned, leering. "Just seeing you might do it," he replied.
Jeanne rolled her eyes. "You're incorrigible. Besides, I'm not sleeping in that child's toy you call a bed again."
"Hey, there's plenty of room as long as we sleep one on top of the other. I don't mind being on the bottom if you prefer," he said, waggling his eyebrows.
"What time are you finished work?" she clarified, but she was smiling, and it caused his body to heat.
Tony sighed, looking at the clock on the nightstand. He really didn't have the time. "I'm not sure. I'll aim for six, but I'll call you if we get a case. What are you planning on doing with your day?"
"I'm going over to University Hospital and test the water if they'd consider taking me back," she said, meeting his gaze with a challenge in her eyes.
She knew he wanted to keep her safely tucked away, but she'd been adamant that she wasn't going to live that way.
He nodded. "Just be aware of your surroundings," he said, his stomach clenching with concern.
"I'll be fine. Go take a shower and get back to work. Don't put any unnecessary strain on your shoulder, or you'll only prolong the healing process," Jeanne said.
"Yes, doctor," Tony said playfully. "Ziva is still at FLETC in the mornings, but she's due back in the afternoons starting today, too. Here's hoping she won't take out her annoyance at having to attend the classes on me and Probie."
"Would she do that?" Jeanne asked.
"Definitely. We have a… a sibling sort of antagonism going in our bullpen," Tony said, choosing his words carefully.
"Do you now? And let me guess – you're the chief antagonist?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.
"I can't believe you'd say such a thing about my character," he said in mock outrage. "I'm the company poster boy for a diligent, serious Federal worker."
"Of course, you are. You'd better hop in the shower, or you'll be a late-on-your-first-day, diligent, serious Federal worker."
Tony quickly glanced at the clock. "Crap!" he said, sprinting for the bathroom.
"You don't have time for that," she said, and he could hear her tinkling laughter through the door as he turned the water on, grinning.
/* /* /* /*
He arrived at the office with a minute to spare, stepping off the elevator to those bright orange walls and sun streaming in from the skylight above.
"Lucy! I'm ho-ome," he shouted happily, feeling slightly giddy to be back.
His physical therapist had insisted he had to keep his arm in the sling, although he suspected it was more to remind him not to use it rather than for any medical reason. The discomfort was manageable, and he was capable of more movement with each week that passed. Next, he'd start on strengthening exercises.
"Tony! How you doing, man?" Ric Balboa asked, standing up from his desk and coming over to shake Tony's hand.
The rest of Balboa's team and several other agents joined in, saying hello and giving him good-natured slaps on the back and shoulder – carefully avoiding his left side.
"DiNozzo! You here to work or socialize?" Gibbs called across the bullpen after several moments of jocularity. The other agents scurried back toward their own desks, giving Tony sympathetic looks.
Tony wasn't fooled, however. "Hey, Boss! Good to know you missed me," he said cheekily, dropping his bag behind his empty desk.
He knew Ferreira had been given his promotion and moved to Jacksonville already. He suspected SecNav wanted him out before he blew the whistle on anything else going on at headquarters. The suspensions of both the Director and Ziva had caused a lot of waves.
"Hey, McStranger. Where have you been, and why haven't you visited me on my deathbed?" he asked.
McGee looked up, rolling his eyes while grinning. "Welcome back, Tony. It's about time you got off your butt."
"Well, now my butt is right here for you to keep an eye on, McEnvious," Tony said.
Gibbs shook his head fondly, and Tony noticed the desk behind McGee was filled by a pretty woman with short, dark hair and even darker eyes. She was watching the interaction in the bullpen with interest.
"Hello," Tony said, smiling brightly and sticking out his hand. "Anthony DiNozzo. Tony."
"DiNozzo, this is Laura Cox. She's a TAD assigned to our team until either you or Ziva can get your field clearance back," Gibbs said, a warning in his voice.
Tony knew exactly why, but he took the bait anyway. "Cox? As in hens?" he asked, smirking.
"DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked.
Laura tilted her head to the side, pursing her lips. She raised her hands in the air and wiggled her fingers. "That the best you've got? Come on, bring it on. I've been hearing it my whole life," she said.
"I was going to ask 'as in balls,' but I figured that wouldn't be workplace appropriate," Tony said, grinning.
"Did you now? Both are pretty weak – I've heard much better," she said, but she was fighting a grin.
Tony liked her and could already tell she could hold her own. He'd have to check her shooting scores, but he suspected she'd be capable of watching Gibbs' and McGee's six until he could get back in the field. That was one less thing to worry about.
"Well, I didn't want you to send me to a Sexual Harassment seminar on my first day back," he said.
"Good to know what to threaten you with should you get on my nerves, then. I've been warned about you, DiNozzo," she said, going back to her paperwork.
"I'm wounded you would believe such vicious scuttlebutt, Agent Cox. I am an upstanding agent and pillar of our small but close-knit NCIS community," Tony said with exaggerated dignity.
"DiNozzo, be a quieter pillar and fill out those Human Resources forms so you can actually do some work," Gibbs said, covering a smirk behind his ever-present coffee cup.
"Missed you, too, Boss," Tony said, returning to his own desk and the stack of return forms awaiting him.
He'd barely made it through half the forms before Gibbs' phone rang. Bored with the tedious paperwork, Tony looked up expectantly.
"Dead body at Quantico. McGee, Laura, grab your gear," Gibbs said, moving toward the elevator. "Not you, DiNozzo – I want those forms done by the time we get back."
Tony sighed, watching them leave. He knew it would be hard being stuck behind, but hard didn't even begin to cover it. He hated feeling so useless. Sure, maybe he couldn't do a lot of the physical tasks, but his observation skills were above par. He might've noticed something if he could just ride along. He hated the desk duty rules. Hopefully, it would be better when they returned, and he could at least get involved in a paper trail.
Looking at the dreaded forms with despair, he pulled another one closer and got to work.
/* /* /* /*
Abby hurried into her lab, scanning all her babies to be sure no one had abused them while she'd been away. She'd had to testify in court that morning – something she always dreaded because of the ridiculous clothing she was required to wear. She'd already ditched the suit jacket, and she was looking forward to changing into her regular clothes. She hoped there wasn't too much work awaiting her as both Tony and Ziva were due back today, and she wanted to look them over.
She moved into her office, already changing out of her court suit as she listened to her messages. Gibbs team had a body on the way to Ducky, so she'd be getting the evidence shortly. At least she'd get to question whichever member of the team brought the data to her. She hadn't seen Tony in nearly a week, and she was concerned. He'd told her he was visiting a friend in Boston, but she knew for a fact that none of his frat brothers who he was still very friendly with lived in Boston. She suspected that he might've gone to see Jeanne Benoit. Abby cared a lot about Tony, and she didn't want to see him hurt again. Since she'd discovered the spyware on the NCIS computers, she hadn't heard a single whisper about the deceased arms dealer's daughter.
Slipping on her lab coat over her black attire, Abby began firing up her machines. It didn't take long before a member of the MCRT showed up with a box of evidence under one arm, and it was just the member she'd wanted to see.
"Tonnnnnnny!" she yelled, running toward him and wrapping him in a bear hug. He cringed and cowered at the sound of her high-pitched squeal, but she knew it was just for show.
"Hey, Abs. How've you been?" he asked, grinning as he rested the box on her work table.
She clung to his good arm as he moved, delighted to see him looking so healthy. "I've missed you so much. It's always boring when you're not around."
Tony gave her a squeeze in return. "It's tough being the life of the party, but I'm here now, so your day is already brighter. What d'you think of the new girl?" he asked, smirking.
Abby huffed and rolled her eyes. "Lame, Tony. She definitely has the cajones to survive team Gibbs, though. I can't wait to see how she and Ziva hit it off."
"Ziva just got here from FLETC, so you won't have to wait long. I'll bring the popcorn. This is the evidence they brought back from Ensign Mark Benedict's place. It looks like an overdose, but we won't know for sure until Ducky finishes the autopsy."
"How'd you do when the team left you behind?" Abby asked, knowing how hard that would be for her friend.
Tony winced. "Hated it. There's no reason I couldn't just ride along. At least they weren't involved in a shootout or anything."
Abby stuck her lower lip out sympathetically and patted his good shoulder. "You know you could never just sit in the car if things went sideways, and Gibbs knows it, too. How's your shoulder?"
"Nearly perfect. Stitches are long gone, and my physical therapist says I'm ahead of the curve on the healing schedule," Tony said brightly.
"Of course, you are. Overachiever," Abby said, grinning. "Want to go out for a drink after work to celebrate your return? We could get everybody to come and celebrate the fact the life of the party is back."
"I can't tonight, but how about tomorrow?" he asked.
Abby's eyes narrowed. "What's going on tonight?"
"I have a date," Tony replied, waggling his eyebrows.
Abby cocked her head to the side, suspicious. Tony usually had a date, but he was always ready to rearrange his schedule if something came up.
"She must be something special if you don't want to cancel," she said.
He sighed, leaning back against her table and looked directly into her eyes. "She is."
Abby scowled. "You're seeing Jeanne again, aren't you?"
"Yes," he replied, abandoning the pretense. "I'm not giving her up, so please don't ask."
His eyes were fierce – determined and strong – but also somehow looking a bit like an abused puppy awaiting the next kick. She did react rather badly when she'd found them together at the hospital, but he'd been injured. She'd never intentionally hurt him.
She leaned over and hugged him again. "I hope you know what you're doing."
"I never know what I'm doing, but I do it, anyway. I like being around her, and I need to see if this can work," he said.
Abby felt tears spring to her eyes as she burrowed into his chest. "I love you, Tony DiNozzo, and I truly want you to be happy. I know I wouldn't take kindly to any of you trying to tell me who I could date, so I'll try to be good."
"Thanks, Abby," he said, resting his chin on top of her head.
She could feel the tension draining from his body and suspected she was the first member of the team to whom he'd come clean. Well, except for Gibbs. Gibbs knew everything.
"I know I'm probably pushing my luck, but I need a favor," he said.
"Name it," she replied, refusing to move away from the warm comfort of his arms.
"Listen to what it is before you say that. I know you were the one who discovered that someone was tracking our computers for information about Jeanne," he said, his voice deadly serious.
"Yep. I told Gibbs, and then the FBI showed up and suspended the Director. The information was going to her computer," Abby said, slightly breathless. She genuinely liked Director Shepherd, but she didn't know what she'd been thinking doing something like that.
"Can you let me know if anyone tries to reinstate the search for information on her?" he asked.
"Why? The Director's been suspended. You think she'll try to do it on her own? I don't' think she has those kind of skills," Abby said.
"Maybe not, but someone is still looking for Jeanne, and I need to know for sure that it was just the Director, Abs," he said.
"You think she might be in danger? I can't believe the Director would hurt her, Tony. She's not a criminal," Abby said, unwilling to believe it.
Tony sighed. "Since it all went down, I've done a lot of research into my undercover op – research I should've done at the time it was happening. Back then, I needed something to take my mind off everything that was going on here. I've since discovered that she lied about the case that supposedly turned her onto the Frog, so everything she told me afterwards was also a lie to get me onboard. She still has an unhealthy obsession with him, and she put Jeanne in the crosshairs before. I'm not going to let it happen again, and I need some help."
"Of course, I'll help you, but just know, I will kill her myself if she hurts you again," Abby said fiercely.
Tony chuckled. "I wish you'd just give her a chance. I think you'd like her. She's got a big heart just like you."
Abby felt her insides melting. He always knew her soft spots. "I'll try, Tony – but I was talking about the Director."
"Tony, Gibbs wants to know what is taking you so long," Ziva said, entering the lab. Her eyes narrowed seeing Tony and Abby embracing. "Am I interrupting something?"
"Ziva!" Abby shrieked, letting go of Tony and hurrying over to wrap her arms around the other woman. Ziva looked at Tony wide-eyed and stiffened as she always did when Abby initiated one of her traditional displays of affection. Abby thought it was good for her. "How are you? How have your classes been going? Are you really back?"
Tony leaned back against the work table, amused.
"I am back in the afternoons, yes. I was hoping now that the insufferable tyrant, Ferreira has finally left, I would be allowed to forego the rest of my time at FLETC, but I was informed I must complete it," Ziva said, her expression sour.
"Aw, come on, Ziva, it's not that bad. We've all had to do it," Tony said.
Ziva looked at him appraisingly. "You look… well," she said, her eyes resting on his sling, "and while you might have all had to do it, my training at Mossad was comprehensive and should more than fit the requirements of your FLETC."
Tony sighed, and Abby could read his disappointment. He obviously agreed with Gibbs that Ziva did need the refresher course. Abby hated when her people disagreed with one another.
"Well, this can be an added bonus then, right? We all have to keep up with our qualifications, and learning is good," she said, eyes wide and hopeful.
Expectedly, Tony softened first. "Of course, it is. We can all stand to learn something."
"Speaking of learning, Gibbs wants you back in the bullpen. He is not happy you have been gone so long," Ziva said.
"He missed me," Tony said, beaming.
"Yes, like one misses the flu upon recovery," Ziva said, grinning.
"Ha! Funny. I'm glad you missed me, too," he said, grinning widely.
Abby smiled, noticing Ziva didn't roll her eyes as she usually might have done. Perhaps Tony was onto something.
Author's Note:
I'm getting sad that we're nearing the end on this. I've really enjoyed writing this one.