Disclaimer: I own nothing, but the plot and that's not a lot, so I'll stop this rhyme and save us all a lot of time.
STORY INFORMATION
Summary: Evelyn Matthews came to NCIS with one goal in mind, to get close to Agent Gibbs. But how exactly do you go about telling a man that you're his dead daughter?
Pairings: Eventual Ari/Evelyn(Kelly),
Looking to be Tate
Tony/Evie friendship
Ducky/Audrey (Other pairings will appear when I decide)
Warnings: Greyish evil! Eli, Neutral! Ziva
NOTE: The medical references as to the brain tumor, inspired a GH storyline as well Still Small Voices movie, so I don't know how exactly accurate that information is for I am not a brain surgeon. For the languages, and other medical information that will presented later in the story are all things I researched from the internet, and while I do try to make sure information is accurate as can be determined some things may not be, so I apology before hand for any mistakes or ignorance on my part.
I want to thank, Dricsj, Gibbs Girl Kelly, HannahbananaJane, JainaSyal, Lady Knight Aria of Haven, Notheronebitesdadust21, Probie girl1717, UnknownFlux, cheether, chrissypotter, Leonarange, lexilia, pavinet, torontogirl12, skeeter88, stargatesg1973, wisegirl71301, OzNCISLover, Kendra29, andrewjeeves, Fantasyfictionwriter, XxstarburstmonterxX, alterangirl, cookie62, kc5mzr, LovelyxLittlexLauren, Rayne90, faith1430709, jbn42, jrfan2383 and yadoonkeenjaani, for all the follows!
I also want to thank, UnknownFlux, HannahbananaJane, JainaSyal, skeeter88, stargatesg1973, Notheronebitesdadust21, smilin steph, bulletproofdeath, Leonarange, torontogirl12, wisergirl71301, LovelyxLittlexLauren, Rayne90, janno, Kendra29, Hope'sFace, and andrewjeeves for the favs!
I apologize if I missed anyone, if I did just give me a shout out like 'Mirror, how could you?' lol And I have to say the great response to this story keeps me going, so thank you all so much!
Now I want to give a special thanks to the reviewers! Thanks, XxstarburstmonterxX, smiling steph, janno, Buckeye am I, JainaSyal, torontogirl12, Sophia and Gibbs Girl Kelly. You words have inspired me to write faster and get this chapter done.
Chapter Four
'What Nightmares Are Made Of Part 1'
Evelyn sat there at her desk seeming immobilized. Her eyes stared down the file, but the words just swam off the page and proceeded to do the hula in front of her eyes. She drew in a swift sigh, and picked up her pen trying to push through the paper work. Paula Cassidy was fighting for her case, and was making it a lot harder for them to do their job. Evie, as the newest member of the team, was left with the crap job of keeping Cassidy running in circles so the rest of them could do their job.
She glanced at Gibbs, and she once again had the urge to spill her guts to him. To lay all her cards out, but as soon as the words made there way to her lips some invisible snatched them away from her. Giving another sigh, she bowed her head and got back to her paperwork. Trust, was a word that was not in her vocabulary. As much as Evie hated to even admit, she just wasn't able to trust her boss. Her pen strokes became jagged as her irritation grew.
So far the day had gone as normal, though Gibbs had given her needed distance. Which she was grateful for because she was still quite pissed, so pissed that slamming a door in his face didn't even began to cover it even if she understood his motives. Something had to give, and neither them wanted to budge. Evie almost let out a laugh, she really was her father's daughter.
Ari was a patient man. In his profession one had to be for carelessness could easily unravel a man and lead him to his doom. He kept his body limp and still as they wheeled him into the morgue. He felt hands from the outside of the bag lift them up and then set them down on the body slab. He closed his eyes, listening intently. He heard the metal doors slid closed and Dr. Mallard's voice, "Thank you."
Ari gripped his gun tightly and waited. He heard two sets of footsteps, most likely the good doctor's assistant. The file said nothing of the assistant, but the added variable only slightly changed Ari's plan. Perhaps for the better, he thought contemplating. Dr. Mallard's light cultured English accent reached his ears, "He's not an American Naval Officer?"
He heard the scrunching of scrubs, and the sound of latex gloves being snapped on. "They said he was a Royal Navy Commander," the assistant replied.
"Well, which Royal Navy, Gerald?" Dr. Mallard asked. "There are several of them."
"I assume British, Doc," the assistant replied.
Foolish boy, Ari gave a light snort. One should never to assume anything, but in this case it worked in his favor.
"The Swedes, the Norwegians, Aussies, Kiwis, Saudis… they all have Royal Navies," Dr. Mallard informed his assistant.
"Well, the EMT only said that the Embassy told them to bring him to NCIS for autopsy," the assistant stated, as if that solved the matter.
"Which Embassy?"
"Israeli."
"Israeli?" Dr. Mallard asked, surprised.
Ari was too. He had been under impression that NCIS had already been on the case, and had the evidence that's why he was sent here to retrieve it. However it seems the Embassy had been involved before NCIS had, leaving Ari with a slightly bitter taste in his mouth. His eyes narrowed. Something was not right here and he did not like knowing things or intentionally being misled. But what did he expect from a man like Eli David? Ari's hand tightened around his gun. Now what would Eli gain from bringing the body here? He thought darkly.
"That's what they said," the assistant stated.
"Hmm." Dr. Mallard sounded thoughtful. "Why on earth would the Israeli Embassy send us a foreign naval officer?"
Ari felt his respect for the man grow. Dr. Mallard was no fool, and he truly had no desire to kill the man. It would be a waste to end the life of such a brilliant man who had more to offer the world, but Mossad told him that after retrieving the virus that Hamas would still doubt his loyalty. Killing Dr. Mallard would ensure his cover for when he went uncover to take down the cell. Decisions…decisions…he thought to himself, taking in a slow breath.
"Well that's what I asked the EMT that delivered the body, but they didn't know either," the assistant voice was growing closer and Ari tensed readying himself.
"He calls me just about quitting time and he doesn't know which Navy. Gerald, what does this look like?" Dr. Mallard stated.
"Uh…" the assistant replied, dumbly. "One of my gloves."
"What's it doing in my drawer?" Dr. Mallard scolded.
The assistant babbled out an apology and said he'd clean it up when Dr. Mallard dismissed it. "No, I'll do it. Ah, Gerald, unzip that body bag and find out with which Navy our guest sailed."
The assistant did as he was told, and Ari walked as the bag was zipped open. Before the man could even react, Ari pointed the barrel in the assistant's direction and raised an eyebrow. He watched the shock, fear, and uncertainty flash across the assistant's face. The assistant opened his mouth, but Ari shook his head back and forth warningly. The assistant swallowed looking between the gun and Ari's face before pursing his lips together. Good boy, Ari thought with a slight smirk.
"Don't recognize the uniform?" Dr. Mallard called, and Ari heard the man shuffle towards them. "I'm not surprised. The Royal Navies of the world wear almost identical uniforms. In fact, during World War Two, British Naval Officers whose ships went down in the channel, passed themselves off in Antwerp as German submariners who…" Dr. Mallard stared down at him as if he were some kind of monster, which in a way he was. "Good god."
"Shut off the lights…" Ari ordered the assistant, his tone conversational. The assistant looked at Dr. Mallard, who gave a nod. The assistant went to turn the lights off and Ari noticed the man glance over at something. A security camera, cleverly hidden and Ari asked, "Is the video camera on?"
Dr. Mallard gave a suffering sigh which Ari took as a 'yes' and pointed his gun, pulling the trigger three times. Glass shattered across the cold tile floor and the assistant shut off the lights encasing them all in an eerie glow from the hallway light. The assistant reluctantly returned. "Sorry, Doc," he murmured, to Dr. Mallard.
"That's all right, Gerald," Dr. Mallard stated. "I looked at it too."
Ari watched the interaction with a calculating look. The doctor cared for his assistant, like ever mentor does and Ari was certain he could ensure the doctor's cooperation by threatening the assistant's safety. "How do you alert visitors when conducting infectious autopsy?" He asked, keeping his expression blank.
"We hang a decomposing body in the corridor," Dr. Mallard sent him a surprisingly fierce glare.
"A sense of humor under duress," a small smile touched Ari's lips as he inclined his head slightly. "That's an admirable quality, Doctor." His expression hardened and his tone grew severe, "However, when I ask a question, I want a truthful and immediate answer. So each time you lie, or I suspect you lie," he pointed his gun at Gerald, with a cool smile on his lips, "I will put a nine millimeter, hollow point slug into one of your assistant's ball and socket joints." Ari raised a speculative eyebrow at the doctor. "If you doubt me, I can demonstrate."
"That won't be necessary." Dr. Mallard shook his head, his face paling while Gerald looked horrified. "May I make a request?"
"You would rather I put the slug in you?" Ari asked, knowingly.
"Yes," Dr. Mallard nodded.
"I can't oblige." Ari replied simply. "How do you alert people to infectious autopsies?"
"A lit red sign in the corridor," Dr. Mallard replied, reluctantly.
"Thank you, doctor," Ari's voice was slightly mocking beneath his polite façade. "Gerald, the sign, please," he ordered. "Just a moment. Also lock the doors and bring me a set of greens and breathing gear."
Dr. Mallard bit out. "What is it you want?"
"In due time, Doctor…?" Ari feigned ignorance.
"Mallard," Dr. Mallard replied.
Ari nodded. "Like the famous English A-Four steam locomotive."
"Most people think of waterfowl," Dr. Mallard's eyes watched Gerald's progress worried that if the young man wasn't quick then the man before them would reap some unpleasant consequences.
"Ah, the Mallard ran from London to Edinburgh for decades." Ari replied, cordially. "In nineteen thirty eight it attained a speed of over two hundred kilometers an hour."
"Two hundred and two," Dr. Mallard corrected, unable to stop his country pride.
"A world record." Ari inclined his head in defeat. "Although the Germans claimed it was set on a slight downgrade. Typical."
Evelyn had just finished enough paperwork to keep Paula Cassidy running around in circles and dropped the pen down on the desk in relief when Tony rounded the corner looking slightly embarrassed. "Forget it," he told Kate, firmly.
Kate was smirking, and Evelyn perked up wondering what had gotten Tony so flustered. "Forget what?" She asked, then paused when she realized she wasn't the only one who spot. Her gaze swept to Gibbs, who also shot her a look. Tony raised his hands pointing at both of them with a slight terrified look on his face, "That was creepy…same tone, same expression…"
"Forget what, DiNozzo?" Gibbs barked, glowering slightly.
"Oh, Tony's bete noir," Kate smirked.
"Ah, it's French for um…" Tony went to explain.
"Nightmare?" Gibbs had to hide a smirk on his face when Tony and Kate sent him a stunned look. "I do crossword puzzles too, DiNozzo."
"Actually my mother taught me nightmare in French…" Tony began, but Gibbs cut him off, "Did your father teach you how to report?"
"Oh, yeah. During cocktail hour, while I was pouring his Macallan eighteen-three fingers, one ice cube-you know, I had to report in about my day at school and just give him sort of a…" Tony froze underneath the exasperated glower Gibbs sent him then continued, "We bagged and tagged everything in Qassam's room after Cassidy threw a tantrum of the case getting passed off on us. There wasn't much there. Koran. Prayer rug. Fast food wrappers. This guy took home from work and didn't empty his trash. He had sinus problems. Bad breath."
"Yeah, probably because he didn't brush his teeth. There was no brush or toothpaste in his bathroom," Kate muttered.
Evelyn gave a disgusted shudder. How could someone not brush their teeth? Images of rotting teeth falling out of gums flooded her mind and she tried not to gag.
"Just aspirin, sinus spray and breath freshener," Tony replied.
"Swab for explosives?" Gibbs questioned.
"Yeah. Top to bottom. Found minute traces of nitrate in the dresser table. Probably where he kept his Baretta," Tony answered.
"What about a computer?" Evie tilted her head to the side.
"Not even a Gameboy," Tony replied.
"Not even a Gameboy?" Evelyn looked slightly horrified.
"He didn't have a TV," Kate shot Tony a dry look.
"Gameboy is handheld, Kate. You're thinking about X-Boxes, PS Twos, GameCubes, Nitendo," Evie listened off, tapping her fingers.
Gibbs got them back on track. "Gitmo intel said Qassam was to execute a terrorist attack on the Naval base at Norfolk. He's in no shape to tell us how or when… his computer might."
"No computer," Kate reminded.
"What about the food court where he worked?" Gibbs asked.
"Just a keyboard with pictures of food," Evie stated, with a shake of her head. "Though he could have used an internet café. Are there any internet café's in Little Creek?"
"I'll got find out," Kate walked over to her computer.
"And I…" Evelyn stood up from her desk. "Have to go to talk to a certain goth about evidence and bowling nuns."
Tony stared at Evelyn as she walked off towards the elevator and looked over Kate. "Did she just say bowling nuns?" He asked, needing clarification.
Kate looked as bemused as him. "I think she did," she muttered.
Gibbs felt his gut twist slightly as the elevators doors slid shut. There was an uncomfortable feeling of guilt coursing through him, and he didn't like it, no matter how much he deserved it. He sighed, running a hand down his face and got up his desk. If this was how this night was going to be, he was going to need more coffee.
Ari walked with purpose while keeping his gun trained on the frightened Gerald. He walked to the other body slab, and unzipped the body bag without hesitation. His dark eyes raked over the dead man's face. It was Qassam. He commented, "Right ventricle, left atria." He looked over at Ducky. "You haven't done the autopsy."
"It was late. We were due to autopsy him tomorrow," Dr. Mallard commented.
"I'm afraid you are going to have to rearrange your schedule," Ari told with a humorless smirk. "Did you draw blood?"
"Yes," Dr. Mallard replied.
"Is it refrigerated here?" Ari inquired.
"No."
Ari fought a sigh. That made things more complicated. He stated, "You sent it with his clothing to forensics?"
"Yes." Dr. Mallard tilted his head. "Are you a pathologist?"
Ari say the veiled attempt at getting information on him, and ignored the doctor's question. "Where is the lab?" He asked.
"Right above us," Gerald replied.
Ducky thought fast. "There's a stairwell outside to the left you can use," he stated, helpfully.
"Not the elevator?" Ari eyed the man trying to figure out his angle. Any man in Dr. Mallard's position would try anyway to get Ari caught and he knew the doctor was not helping him out of the goodness of his heart. Not that Ari blamed him.
"I assumed you'd think that too risky," Dr. Mallard said calmly.
"Is it an emergency stairwell?" Ari guessed.
"No. That would be alarmed," Dr. Mallard shook his head.
"Surveillance camera?" Ari narrowed his eyes.
"Yes. I answered promptly and I haven't lied!" Dr. Mallard stated, his eyes flickering towards Gerald worriedly.
"You tried to trick me, Doctor Mallard," Ari stated, debating one how to handle it. If he gave in and merely ignored it, it may give the doctor the gumption to try again.
"That wasn't a condition," Dr. Mallard pointed out.
"It is now," Ari told him, darkly.
Gibbs drunk the black coffee, not caring that it burned all the way down. The pain helped him organize his thoughts and untangle all of his emotions. He had let his suspicions overrule his gut feeling that Evelyn was a good person, and would be a great member of his team. It was…the questions that bothered him, but he had saw a side of her that he knew she didn't want revealed.
He had saw a torment, and pain. He saw a broken soul, searching for a way out. Just like Tony had been, just like he had been and instead of taking her in like he had with Tony, he turned her into an enemy inside of his mind. Gibbs looked down at the empty cup in his hand and stood there for longer than necessary.
"Ah, hell," he groaned, and headed back towards the squad room. He had a feeling that he was going to have to break rule number six.
Andriod Lust's Stained blared through the speakers, and Abby bobbed her head to the beat while her fingers danced across the keyboard. The phone beside her begins to ring, and she glanced down. Recognizing Ducky's number she hit the speaker button, she smiled widely, "My Ducky, you're in late. I though you were going home."
"Abby, turn down the babble," Ducky stated.
"Babble? You love Android Lust!" Abby gasped in mock shock.
"Not distorted by a speaker phone!" Ducky retorted.
"Ducky, you're such a purist," Abby laughed, and turned off the music. "What's up?" She brightly inquired.
"I need the evidence Gerald delivered last night," Ducky told her.
"Oh, good luck. I don't have anymore Caf-pow to keep me going," Abby snorted, lightly.
"I didn't ask for the results. I need it all back, including the blood," Ducky stated, with a heavy sigh.
"What are you going to do with the blood?" Abby asked, with a frown.
"Abby, just get it down here!"
"Wow. Did you get up on the wrong side of the autopsy table?" Abby stated, slightly taken aback by his sharp tone. Ducky never got that way with her. "Sorry. I have a theory to test," Ducky came, his tone quieter and apologetic.
"Want to share?" Abby raised an eyebrow.
"Not quite yet," he stated.
"Okay. Send Gerald up," Abby stated.
"He's busy," Ducky immediately shut down the idea. "You'll have to bring it down here."
"Ducky, you know I can't do that," Abby's face lost all color and she froze in terror as a flash of her nightmare came flooding back. Terror coiled around her throat, and her heart was thundering in her chest.
"Abby, I don't have time to deal with your necrophobia," Ducky sighed.
"I am not necrophobic. Dead bodies don't freak me out," Abby stressed, trying to keep her voice steady. "Autopsy does. Ducky, please don't ask me to do this."
"You won't have to enter Autopsy. In fact, you can't. We've opened an infectious body," Ducky told her, trying to ease her fear. "Leave it at the door."
"I can't even press the down button on the elevator any more!" Abby cried.
"Get Gibbs to do it. STAT!" And the phone line went dead.
Abby stood there with a terrified look on her features, perspiration making her hands sweat and she looked at the evidence setting on her desk. She bit her lip, her mind racing a mile a minute when Evelyn came walking in.
"Hello, Abby," Evie gave a lopsided grin. "Now, you called wanting to talk about some bowling nuns?" Abby turned towards her, staring at Evelyn with large eyes filled with hope. After a moment, Evelyn started to feel uncomfortable. "Abby?"
"Bowling nuns can wait." Abby bolted towards her desk putting the evidence back into the box. "If I asked a favor, not like a normal favor," Abby stressed making a wide sweeping gesture with her hands, "I'm talking like the really big I'll-never-be-able-to-repay-you-enough-"
"Abby," Evelyn held up her hands to stop the forensic specialist's babble. "How many Caf-pows have you had?"
"One…two…maybe a few more than two," Abby said, with a slightly sheepish look. "Okay, look. You know how I had that nightmare."
"The one about the morgue?" Evie asked.
"Yeah," Abby grimaced.
"What of it?" Evelyn inquired, her brows furrowing in worry.
"Well, Ducky needs the evidence back. He has a…theory," Abby waved a hand, with a sigh then looked up at Evelyn with a slightly pitiful look. "And…I can't go down there."
"Where Gerald?" Evie said.
"They opened an infectious body, or think they did so…" Abby pouted.
"So they can't come and get it." Evelyn nodded, then gave Abby a reassuring smile. "I'll take it down there for you, Abs-" Evie grunted in surprise when the other woman leapt at her for a sneak hug. Every fiber in Evelyn's body responded to the touch with flares of warning and panic causing her to tense. Abby pulled back quickly.
"I'm sorry," Abby apologized. "I know that you don't really like being touch-"
"It's okay. Really Abs," Evie smiled, after taking in a deep breath. "Just…a little warning next time?" She asked, her voice quivering just a bit.
Abby nodded, before grabbing the box of evidence and handed it over to Evie. "Thanks, Evie," the goth said.
"No problem, Abs."
"Am I to believe that?" Ari looked at the doctor with dark, unforgiving eyes.
"Well Abby, who is unfazed by the most gruesome of forensics, recently had a nightmare," Dr. Mallard explained, simply. "Since then, she has not set foot in autopsy."
Ari tilted his head considering the story, before looking at Ducky's assistant. "Gerald, is that true?" He asked, his tone suspiciously light.
"She hasn't been down for quite a while," Gerald replied.
Ari's lips pursed. "A code word could have triggered that absurd conversation," he commented, drawing in a long breath. He had no room for error, and if Dr. Mallard had alerted the agents, that meant he had little time as well.
"Abby and I are not special agents. We're forensic scientists. We do not use code words. Surely you understand the power of phobias?" Dr. Mallard stated, his heart pounding in his chest.
"Butterflies," Ari muttered.
Ducky stared at the man. "Pardon?" He asked.
"I fear butterflies," Ari stated, his eyes darkening. Which was a lie. He had no fear of butterflies, but he hated them. They brought back memories of Tali…poor sweet Tali. She had meant so much to him, she was his light in the world. She was the best out of all of them. She had life, compassion, innocence despite all she had seen and in one quick second her light had been diminished. Anger boiled in his gut, Ari would never forgive his father for the part he played in his mother's and Tali's deaths.
"Good. Well, not good that you have a phobia, but good that you understand that not a word I said was coded to alert Abby," Dr. Mallard said with more than a little relief.
"Who is Gibbs?" Ari asked.
Ducky paled. "Gibbs is the only other person Abby has told of her phobia. He's also the one person she'd turn to for help," Ducky answered, trying to keep calm. Gerald shifted nervously.
"Is he a special agent?" Ari asked.
"Yes, but does that matter?" Dr. Mallard stated, his jaw clenching. "Look, all I'm trying to do is to give you the evidence so you can do what you came here to do and leave."
Ari contemplated Dr. Mallard for a long moment before turning towards Gerald noticing the good doctor tense. "Have you worked with Doctor Mallard long, Gerald?" He notice Mallard cringe, waiting for the other shoe drop, but Ari would let the man's imagination torture him instead. After all, there were no monster or nightmares worse than the ones we are selves create.
"A bit over two years," Gerald replied stiffly.
"Quick on his feet?" Ari raised an eyebrow, moving his gaze to Dr. Mallard letting him absorb his veiled threat. The doctor's jaw clenched and Ari knew his words hit home.
"He was a miler at Eton. Still recalls all of his races in great detail," Gerald stated, seriously.
Ari shot the assistant a glance. "Your sense of humor seems to be contagious, Doctor Mallard," he murmured, with a humoring smile like one would give a child that had done well.
"No, I'm afraid Gerald took you literally," Dr. Mallard explained, the edges of his mouth tightening in signs of stress. "I have a way of going on about my salad days. He associates "quick on my feet" with my stories of the playing fields of Eton."
Ari snorted. "Do you believe Wellington actually said that?" He stated, a rare trace of true amusement appearing on his face.
"Probably not." Dr. Mallard stated, with a tight shrug of his shoulders. "But most Etonians love to think he did."
"Are you lost, Gerald?" Ari shot the man a look. He used the idle talk to lure them into a sense of security, but he could see that Dr. Mallard was not falling for it one bit.
"'The Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton,'" Gerald replied, frowning.
"Very good."
"Stick around the Doc long enough and you pick up a lot of trivia," Gerald commented, his eyes shining with respect for his mentor.
"Much as I'd enjoy that, I have to decline. So you believe this… Abby was it?" Ari tilted his head.
"Abby Sciuto," Dr. Mallard reluctantly replied.
"Abby Sciuto has really developed an autopsy phobia?" Ari finished his question after inclining his head to the doctor.
"Truthfully…" Gerald began.
"I think your shoulder would prefer that," Ari stated, with a smirk. The glares thrown in his direction told him that his humor wasn't appreciated.
Gerald closed his eyes at the reminder of the danger that he was in, and drew in a breath praying for strength. "I never figured anyone who slept in a coffin could have a phobia, but it's the kind of kinky thing Abby would get," he said.
Out of all the things Ari expected to come from the man's mouth it certainly hadn't been that and the strange thing…he believed him. It was too absurd to be a lie. "She slept in a coffin?" Ari asked, brows furrowing.
Ducky stated, "She's a Goth."
Ari resisted the urge to rub his temples, wondering what he exactly got himself into. His keen ears then heard the familiar ding of the elevator and he rose. He encased him in the shadows near the doors edge, just out of sight. He looked over at Dr. Mallard and Gerald, and told them pointedly, "No tricks, doctor."
Dr. Mallard tried to keep his face blank. "No tricks," he agreed softly.
After signing the evidence papers, Evelyn got into the elevator. The doors slid closed and she stared at the four walls feeling a wave of restlessness move across her skin. She hadn't realized it was going to be this hard. Working day in and day out, side by side, with her father and…have him be nothing but a boss to her. Not to mention, there was a clear wall of distrust that lingered between him and it wasn't just him that was reluctant to tear it down.
"Sometimes, baby girl," a faint memory of her mother's voice came to her, and Evie's heart clenched as she fought to hold onto the smiling face in her mind, "you've got to have a little faith. In yourself…and in the people around you."
"Gotta to have a little faith, huh?" She found herself murmuring into the silence. This time no words of wisdom that came to her. She sighed, shifting from foot to foot. She had to make the first move. Something had to give, and it wasn't going to be her father, so it had to be her. Though thinking that and actually going through with it, Evelyn smiled bitterly, were two different things. The elevator dinged as it reached its destination and the doors slid open. A red light encased the entire hallway like blood, and Evelyn stared for a moment with a shudder. "Great…now I'm having autopsy nightmares," she commented, to herself. "The only thing that would make this even more creepier is if a killer clown was on the loose."
Her heels clicked against the tile floor as she approached the autopsy doors. The room appeared dark, and without lights making Evelyn frown heavily. With a hesitant hand, she reached out and knocked against the glass. "Ducky?" She called out.
"You can leave it there," Ducky's voice was faint.
"You have to sign. Chain of evidence and all that jazz," she told him.
"Well, I can't open the doors with you there," Ducky stated.
"Right," Evie almost slapped herself in the forehead. "The infection. Are you and Gerald? I don't need to call the CDC or something?"
"Don't know yet. He's got a pustule on his thigh. It may be nothing. Yeah, I'll sign. Cross my heart," Ducky promised. He then added, "I'm glad that you got rid of your phobia, Abby."
Evelyn froze, her heart jolting in her chest. "Yes…yes, I did. I…I'm still not completely over it," she said, her voice tight with anxiety as she realized something was really wrong. "So, I'll leave this here and get back to the lab. See you around, Duck."
"See you around, dear Abigail," Ducky replied. His gaze locked on Ari who peeked out of the window as Evelyn turned away and knelt down carefully placing the box on the ground.
Ari's jaw tightened, and he spared Ducky a glare. "Since when do lab rats pack around guns?" He growled, sliding the door open.
Evelyn set the box down and made to go to the elevator when she heard the hiss of a door. Before she could spin around, an arm wrapped around her waist pulling her back and she felt the barrel of a gun pressed in the center of her back. Her heart was throbbing beneath her breast, and she felt lips on the shell of her ear as a deep, dark voice breathed out, "Don't move."
END OF CHAPTER!
Rrs are appreciated. Whew! I've been updating like crazy on this. FYI, next update might take a while. I'm really maping out Ari's and Evie's interaction which will be the main focus and will set the mood for the rest of the fic, plus the next few weeks of work are going to be crazy for me so I don't know how much writing I'll be able to get in. Thanks! :D