Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING! NOTHING I TELL YOU! NOTHING! *Ari nods satisfied and puts away his gun and author lets out a sigh of relief*
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),
Tate
Tony/Evie friendship
Ducky/Audrey (Other pairings will appear when I decide)
Warnings: Greyish! Eli, Neutral! Ziva
NOTE: Things I lack knowledge of I have 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, yadoonkeenjaani, BONES-LOVER-94, FourHorses, IwouldrockJoshuaJacksonsWorld, lauram314, Angel-Lilly16, Captain Kathryn Janeway98, Jeremy Kelly, TivaBelieva.x.x.x, KrisShannon, Tris Holmes, Jenna Craig, MismatchedSocksandKnickers, jtr1812, Amelia Jessica Pond Williams, BrianB1126, calliegirl63, leoniebroeder94, CSIflea, MDDC26, Sirius7, amurdock42, byLunaA, buffy1242, Too Hard To Be Called Love, starchild295, swimgeek2007, Lady Isabelle Black, vampireacademyrulz797, Arkansas Sweetheart, Sweetest-Time, janno, Russian Flower, SimplyReBECca, GraceSong, Marauders Twilight, NikkiAlex, horsegirlrule, adrienmaciel, Alpha Centarus, Angelus320, Dreamspirit47, MrsScott323, bakaprincess85, mitchievw, and zebraclrgard 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, lexilia, Annie016, KrisShannon, StarlightShivers, MismatchedSocksandKnickers, 1956johndeere50, Amelia Jessica Pond Williams, BrianB1126, calliegirl63, leoniebroeder94, Sirius7, byLunaA, SecretsAreHiddenByMe, Too Hard to Be Called Love, BurnedSpy, NikkiAlex, adrienmaciel, Annie016, bakaprincess85, spikewil 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?' Seriously all PMs are welcomed. :D
Wanna give a special thanks to, leoniebroeder94, Buckeye am I, Burned Spy, torontogirl12, Gibbs Girl Kelly, FourHorses, and CSIflea! THANK Y'ALL! If I have missed you and your review, or follow, or fav, just PM and I'll fix that.
CHAPTER WORD COUNT: 3612 (that's before disclaimer and stuff was added) Also note that it has been a few months since the "Left Foot" episode.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
"TAKEN"
His heart beat in his chest as he walked into autopsy.
The lights were off, it was encased in darkness. It was cold, and he could feel the death. It was in the walls, wafting off the floors, surrounding him. His eyes looked at the black bag setting on the table and he felt his feet move him closer and closer and he reached out, unzipping it…inside was…
"Shouldn't we…wake him up?" Evelyn's voice roused Gibbs's from his light sleep.
"I'm not waking him up!" McGee, who had helped them before, and was now helping him track Ari…unofficially of course. However to Gibbs's knowledge McGee should have already left by now.
"Wake him up," Abby urged.
"I don't know. Maybe he needs the rest," Evie commented softly, a clear worry ringing through her voice.
"He's not resting. Look at him," Abby argued. "His eyeballs are disco dancing under those lids."
"Disco dancing?" McGee asked. "Is that back?"
"It's Gibbs. It never left," Abby shot back.
"Abby," Evelyn let out a startled laugh.
"McGee should have left… hours ago. Norfolk office opens in…. twenty four minutes." Gibbs spoke up, and he could hear all them jump in surprise. He fought a pleased smile. "It's a hundred and ninety three mile drive."
"I was going to call in," McGee shifted guiltily.
"Yeah? And tell them what, McGee?" Gibbs rose off of the desk to meet three sets of surprised eyes and focused on McGee who looked nervous.
"Well uh…that you needed me to work here today," McGee stuttered, and reached up rubbing the back of his neck. Evelyn and Abby sent him a sympathetic look.
"Why do I need you here?" Gibbs asked, sitting up in his chair. His bones and muscles screaming for him to stretch out, but he settled for look up at McGee dryly.
"Well, because I have an idea on how to speed up the search for him," McGee told him.
"I'm listening," Gibbs stated.
Evelyn just stared at Gibbs. She understood Gibbs need to bring Ari in, the man had come into a place that they always had believed safe, into their house and beat them. It made him dangerous, more dangerous than anyone else and yet part of her wished he'd let his obsession go. Obsessions never turned out good. Never.
"The database you're scanning has over ten million photos. It'll take a month to check them all," McGee started to explained.
Gibbs interrupted him. "Is this your idea to depress me, McGee?"
"No, no, no, no! If we found out his precise age, then we could limit the search to the year he turned twenty one," McGee quickly got out, his face going ashen. McGee was smart, and strong, and totally sweet on Abby. Evelyn had noticed him staring at the goth more than once. His only problem he just lacked confidence. Sadly that was something only McGee change. But he had quickly earned her trust with his honest and earnest attitude, and if she ever wanted someone to watch her back in the field, McGee would not be a bad person to have cover her six.
"Seventy three percent of U. K. graduates are twenty one," Evelyn told them, with a shrug. She looked at Abby and explained, "Ducky is like a fountain of knowledge."
"I know. I loved his story about the man and cheating wife that died doing-" Abby began, overly excited.
"As interesting as that would be, Abby," Gibbs stopped her. "Let's get back to the matter at hand. McGee," Gibbs pointed at him.
"Uh, scanning that year would cut down the search to a couple of days," McGee told him, with a nod.
"That's a good idea, huh?" Abby smiled broadly.
"Oh, yeah," Gibbs replied in his normal abrasive tone. "Yeah, it's a hell of a good idea. Just one problem. How are we gonna find his age when we don't know who the hell he is?" Gibbs glowered at all on them.
Evelyn crossed her arms over her chest, and tilted her head to the side looking up at him. "Would you be less grumpy if you slept somewhere that is not your desk?" She asked, bluntly.
"No, I would not!" Gibbs barked at her.
"I didn't think so," Evie said, with a light shrug.
"The FBI has a software program they use on photos of children that have been missing for years to show what they'd look like today," McGee said, trying to let himself be too intimidate. McGee would never know that just made Gibbs respect go up for him.
"I know what that asshole looks like today, McGee," Gibbs told him, with a deep sigh.
"Yeah, up close, too," Evie said underneath her breath. Her stomach churned every time she thought about Ari. Her mind flashing back her holding the knife right at his throat, knowing that if she just pushed with a little more force that she could have killed him. Instead, she had looked into his eyes and saw something there in his gaze. She just couldn't understand why she couldn't go through with it, or why that look in his eyes had effected her so much. No, she did know and her heart trembled inside her chest.
"I know you do, Boss. But to create that program the FBI needed age specific criteria," McGee spoke, ever patient.
"So McGee spent half the night using their criteria to develop a program that can tell a person's age from a photo," Abby said, proudly.
McGee flushed slightly. "I just used the FBI algorithms for cordiodal strain, pore size, wrinkles, adipose tissue and the length of the nose and ears."
"Which keep getting longer the older you get whether or not you wear earrings so you might as well wear them, Evelyn," Abby reached over and tugged Evelyn's naked earlobe.
"Eh!" Evie smacked Abby's hand away and Abby just laughed.
"This you can do?" Gibbs asked, seriously.
"I just need a couple hours to put it on your hard drive," Gibbs told him, rising from his chair.
"All right. That's worth a hall pass. I'll call Norfolk." Gibbs nodded, then looked over at Abby. "He stay at your place?" He asked.
"Yeah," Abby smirked.
McGee's face went red. Gibbs gave a slightly amused smirk. "Did you sleep in the coffin, McGee?" He asked, eyebrow raised.
"You have a coffin in your house?" Evelyn looked at Abby in disbelief, then she rolled her eyes slightly. "She asked sounding surprised."
Abby laughed while McGee sputtered. "Coffin? You said it was a box sofa bed!"
"Well, it is…sort of," Abby looked sheepish.
"That's why you wouldn't turn the lights on. I can't believe I slept in a coffin," McGee stated, accusingly.
"Not just slept in," Abby grinned.
Gibbs just shook his head, and walked towards the elevator. Evelyn watched for a long moment before heading after him. She got into the elevator, silently. Gibbs shot her a narrowed look, and she just kept her expression peaceful. She followed him down towards his car and got into the passenger seat without a word. Gibbs sighed, "What do you think you are doing?"
"Do you want my opinion?" Evelyn asked, purposefully ignoring his question. She just keep her expression pleasantly innocent when his eyes narrowed on her.
"Not particularly," Gibbs replied.
Her lips twitched unsurprised by the rather Gibbs response. "Well, you're getting it," she told him, candidly. She turned facing him and looked up at him. "We are all worried about you. When it comes to Ari, you seem to lose sight of everything else and we just…just want you to be careful. And don't forget you have a lot of people watching your six," she added, when he stayed silent. "And that you're not in this alone."
There was a beat. "Your aren't getting out of the car, are you?" Gibbs seemed resigned.
"Nope," she said, buckling up after shooting him a half smile.
Gibbs sent her a glare, and she turned towards him and eyebrow raised. He growled, and twisting the key into the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot. He kept glancing out of her out of the corner of his eyes and then he asked, "Why didn't you stab him?"
"What?" Evelyn shot him a surprised look.
"Why didn't you stab Ari when you had the chance?" Gibbs asked.
Ari's free hand jerked up, catching her hand. "Ah," with the widening of his dark eyes was the only indication that she had surprised him. He held her hand tightly, in an almost painful vice and stared down at her. Her hand shook, trying to push the scalpel into his neck, but he was immovable like a mountain. "Still have a little fight in you, Evelyn?"
"More than a little for you," Evie shot back.
Ari stared at her and she glared up at him, straight in his eyes. There was something there inside his eyes that made her pause. A brief glimmer of what she had seen earlier. An echoed pain, and suddenly she felt like that she knew this man too well. That she understood him too well. And for the life of her she couldn't understand it. It was just some kind of understanding on a primal level, and Evelyn felt her fingers weaken. She struggled, hanging on to her anger and her determination to put it into his neck. Her heart was pounding in her chest as something in Ari seemed to beckon out to her, saying 'trust me'.
She sat there for a moment as the memory flashed before her eyes. "His eyes…" she replied, her voice sounding faint to her own ears.
"His eyes?" Gibbs asked. gruffly. "Why? What did you see there that stopped you from stabbing the man that shot you?" It had been something that had been bothering him and he knew that it had been bothering Evelyn more than she wanted to admit it as well.
"Pain," she replied. Gibbs gave her a long look, and she swallowed thickly. "I saw pain."
"Eyes can lie, Matthews," Gibbs told her.
"But pain doesn't," Evie shot back. She saw his face tighten in anger, and she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Gibbs, can we please not talk about this? That day isn't exactly a favorite of mine and I can't tell you how many times I've went over it in my head trying to search for a reason why I didn't stab him. But I can't explain why the pain in his eyes stopped me and if I can't explain it to myself, then how I can explain it to you?"
"Fine," Gibbs relented. "Maybe you can explain what you wanted to tell me in the elevator."
"What?" Evie said.
"Left foot," he reminded her of the case.
"Gibbs, I told you I don't even remember," Evelyn tried to wave it off.
"The fact that you know exactly what I meant says otherwise," Gibbs stated, firmly. Evelyn had opened up after the whole Eric Wells situation, and she seemed more at ease with everyone. But whatever she had wanted to tell him, she was holding back and Gibbs didn't like it one bit. "And those are the only two conversation I will have in this car."
Glancing at the speedometer that read 70, and the highway that was speeding by, Evelyn bemoaned, "It's too late to get out of the car, isn't it?"
Gibbs had the nerve to smirk. Evelyn glowered at him, and firmly pressed her lips together. The rest of the car ride was uncomfortably silent.
Ari was watching Caitlin chat with her old Secret Service friend, waiting in silence. Just inside the alcove by the gallery door that was adjacent from the cafe, his back to the building and a newspaper in his hands, where he could see anything coming at him. Hidden in plain sight. He saw Gibbs car drive up, and smirked. The man would be more than angry when he took one of his agents. His smirk was firmly in place.
That was until he saw Evelyn Matthews get out of the car, and felt his breath stolen. She walked in leisurely pace, unaware of his presence and it let him glimpse at her when she was completely at ease and carefree. She turned towards Gibbs when he said something, and she sent him a smirk. She was still as beautiful as he remembered, with a black pencil skirt that curved around her hips lovingly and shimmered with each step she took. She wore a bright red shirt that looked elegant against her porcelain skin. She was the type of woman that could wear the bright colors, and they suited her because when she smiled, she lit up the entire street.
He frowned, deeply. Women did not effect him like this. He was taught at an early age that he was the one in control, but with Evelyn, he felt all his control slip. He felt stripped and entirely exposed which was something he never swore he would feel ever again. His finger slipped into his jacket and he fingered his dagger, the weight of the weapon reassuring to him. And yet the moment, he touched it he knew his plan had changed. He watched Evie get this far away, sad look on her face, but there was steel underneath it all. This woman was the type who played for keeps, and brought men to their knees with a smile from angel lips.
Caitlin Todd would be safely back at NCIS in the next hour. Evelyn Matthews would not.
"Are you going to guard the car?" Gibbs asked, as Evelyn leaned against the car door and made no attempt to go into the café.
"Guess I could," she shrugged. She still did not like a big crowd of people, and the café was packed besides the spring air was nice and cool. "Go get your caffeinated beverage, I know that you run off the stuff. Wouldn't want you battery to die," she smirked at him.
The glare he sent her promised a headslap at some point during the day, but Evelyn took her victories where they were. She watched Gibbs walk into the café feeling her heart sink into her stomach. She almost told him again, and she wished she could just blurt it out. But what if he didn't take her at face value? Maybe set up a DNA with Abby, but then Abby would want to know why and she knew that Abby would immediately go to Gibbs without a second thought. Not that she would blame her any. Evelyn ran a hand through her hair and went to open her purse. She needed to call Audrey. Audrey was her rock and she really needed to be grounded right now.
While reaching for her phone someone bumped into her. She whirled around and glowered, "Watch where you are going, jer-" her insult died upon her lips as the man craned his head over his shoulders to look back at her. Her breath felt like knocked out of her, and her eyes widened in horror.
It was Ari!
He turned and started walking faster. Her eyes flickered to Gibbs where he was talking to Kate, and she had a split second to make her decision. Gritting her teeth, she bolted after Ari, who upon seeing her chase him broke out into a sprint. Flipping open her cellphone, she hit her phone number list and hit Gibbs's number.
"Profile him," Gibbs said, sitting down across from Kate. She gave him a look, before sighing.
"Well, from what Evelyn and Ducky stated, he is not an Islamic fanatic. Never used their rhetoric. No mention of Jihad, Allah, infidels," said Kate, thinking over it carefully in his mind. "Whatever drives him, it isn't martyrdom."
"Revenge?" Gibbs guessed.
"Possibly," Kate conceded. "Or money."
"A Hamas terrorist in it for the money?" Gibbs looked skeptical about that.
"Well, he's not in it for the seventy virgins. According to Evie, he'd have not trouble attracting women," Kate muttered out. When she saw Gibbs's eyes flash, she added, "Don't go there. Evelyn hates the guy, she isn't one to be fooled by his charm."
No, just by his pain. Gibbs still had trouble understanding why Evelyn had hesitated, but it wasn't up for him to understand. Did mean he didn't like it any less. "Why money?" Gibbs asked.
"Evelyn stated he was well groomed, manicured nails, perfect teeth. Salon style hair. He sounds like a man that lives large," Kate explained, with a slight shrug then her eyes narrowed on Gibbs's hair. "Gibbs, what is it with your hair?"
"What's wrong with my hair?" Gibbs shot her a look.
"Nothing," Kate quickly backtracked. "Nothing. Your hair is…you."
Gibbs just raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, thank you. What else?" He asked, sipping his coffee.
"He's intelligent. Bold," Kate leaned back in her chair and mulled it over. "Willing to take big risks."
Gibbs slowly picked up the gun, and checked it himself. Then he looked up at Ari, and asked, "Why?"
"Why not?" Ari simply shrugged. The two men stared each other down, both waiting for the other man to make a move. Then one did, and the other raised his gun in retaliation and gunshots deafened the autopsy room.
"Why did he give me a chance to kill him?" Gibbs asked, his lips tugging down into a frown. Ari did have to let Gibbs pick up the gun, he couldn't have just shot him and been done with it all. No, the bastard had a reasoning to his actions, a method that Gibbs could quite see yet.
"He had a flack vest. Knew you'd double tap him in the chest," Kate stated, reasonably.
"What if I shot him in the head?" Gibbs pointed out.
"It's a risk he had to take to make his escape plan work," Kate suggested, narrowing her eyes slightly.
"No, he did not," Gibbs's eyebrows furrowed. "He could have killed me in cold blood. H-R-T comes in, throws a flash bang. Either way he escapes just the same," he commented more to himself than Kate.
"You're right. Why'd he give you a shot at him then?" Kate was frowning deeply.
"He needs to face death to feel alive. Maybe to feel anything," Gibbs realized. And that realization made Ari all the more dangerous. He jerked slightly in surprise when his cellphone went off and he looked down at the caller id.
Evelyn Matthews.
His eyes flickered out to the car where Evie had decided to stay put, but she wasn't there. A jolt went through him, and there was suddenly a foreboding sensation in the pit of his gut. He got to his feet while flipping the phone open, and he answered, "Evelyn."
"Da-Gibbs!" Came Evelyn's breathless voice. "I just turned on Maine Street!"
"What? Why?" Gibbs asked, confused.
"Ari!" She practically shouted. "Gibbs, it's Ari! I saw him!"
His blood turned to ice in his veins and he bolted towards the door, his gun in his free hand with Kate hot on his heels. "What the hell are you thinking, Matthews?" He demanded angrily, his eyes searching for the Maine Street sign. Panic laced through his blood, and he reached for his gun shoving through the people on the street.
"I had to make a quick decision! If I told you I'd let him get away and-" her voice was suddenly cut off and there was a yelp that made Gibbs's heart stop in his chest.
"Matthews," he barked, as he ran down to Maine Street. He looked both ways, but he saw no sight of bright red head. "Matthews!"
She had rounded the corner into an alley and Ari had been waiting. He grabbed her wrist, jerking her gun out her hands and slammed her back into the brick wall. She yelped in pain, and before she could recover, he pinned her to the wall with his body and pulled the cellphone free of her grasp. "You bastard," she grounded out.
Ari smirked, darkly. "Miss me?" He asked, tauntingly.
She glared up at him, and opened her mouth when he reached into his pocket, pulling out the chloroform rag and pressed it over her nose. She held her breath, glaring up at him through pain filled tears and she struggled. Ari was patient, holding her tight until she couldn't fight the need to breath anymore. She drew in a deep breath against her will, and the sickly sweet smell of the chloroform made her body weak, and her vision go dark before she slumped, out cold.
Ari wrapped around her midsection, pulling her to him. She was as light as feather and felt just as delicate. A shudder rippled through him as he smelt her scent of strawberries, and orange, and for some reason her scent reassured him. He hefted her towards him, her head resting on his shoulder as Bassam and Marta pulled the van around the corner. Holding her tightly, he got into the van as Marta pulled the door open. He saw Marta glare at the red head, and had a feeling that she would have to be a problem he was going to have to eliminate because he knew one thing. No harm would come to Evelyn. He'd kill anyone who tried.
"Matthews!" Gibbs desperate voice. "Matthews!"
Ari raised an eyebrow, snorting softly. What kind of man addressed his daughter by her last name? So cold and detached, just Eli. He raised the phone to his ear, signaling for Marta and Bassam to drive out slowly and carefully. "Such detachment…one would think you'd at least call someone so dear to you by their first name, Agent Gibbs."
A voice came on the phone, but it was not Evelyn's. "Such detachment…one would think you'd at least call someone so dear to you by their first name, Agent Gibbs."
"Ari," he growled out. "If you lay one hand on her-"
"Too late for that warning, don't' you think?" Ari's dark chuckled reverberated through his ear and filled Gibbs with rage. "I'm afraid, sweet Evelyn, is going to be a guest of mine for a while, Agent Gibbs. I hope she is sorely missed."
With that the phone call ended, and Gibbs gritted his teeth. Kate looked at him, panting, "Gibbs, what happened?"
Gibbs's expression was dark. "Ari has Evelyn," he told her.
Kate gasped, her eyes widened. Gibbs dialed in McGee's number and barked out, "McGee, I need you to get me ever surveillance camera on Maine Street and Dupart and I needed it yesterday. Evelyn's been kidnapped by Ari." He shut the phone, and looked down the street. The bad feeling in his gut didn't go away.
END OF CHAPTER! HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS!
I have to admit I wrote once before on FF net, but I was younger (fourteen) and well, I wasn't as good and making a story like I am now and I want to thank you all for making my second experience on this sight worthwhile. Thank you. :D