Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING! NOTHING I TELL YOU! NO CHARATERS, NOTHING! I am not making anything from this, it is just for amusement. NOTHING MORE! *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, potiongirl1992, Nicole1314, Trance20666, Viivs0612, cwatker222, Mal4Inara, sophiemom01 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, thelauers918, Animanga-smile14, Nicole1314, Trance20666, Viivs0612, sophiemom01 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, Ladyaloysius, Burned Spy, 1, Buckeye am I, Too Hard To Be Called Love, byLunaA, Nat84, XxstarburstmonterxX, smilin steph, 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
Guest Reviews:
1- I finally update! It took me a little bit, but this chapter was a bit hard for me to write. Hope you enjoy!
Ladyaloysius - I swear I don't try to make the cliffhangers, they just happen. Anyways I kept on clicking and it's done! :D
Was really struggling with this chapter. I think it's because I've already got what happens after this all planned out and am eager to get to that part that it is hard to concentrate on this. Hope you enjoy still.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
"A Long Way Home"
It had been almost two full days and no contact. He could see it in everyone's eyes, they were giving up hope. Gibbs's jaw clenched, he was not giving up. Not until they had her back…or found her body. He let out a jittery breath, and he couldn't help but think of that time in the elevator. She seemed so close to telling him something, he could tell it was important. He saw that in her eyes, and his gut twitched. There was something achingly familiar about that gaze, but he couldn't-or wouldn't he would suspect later-put his finger on it.
Kate watched Gibbs with worried eyes, then meet Tony's gaze. The two agents were more than a little worried. Gibbs had been one furious, ornery boss yesterday, but today? Today he was quiet. Silent, and there were shadows haunting his gaze. It was very un-Gibbs to see him openly brooding like this. Her cell phone rang drawing her attention, and she flipped it open and answered, "Hello?"
She let out a loud gasp drawing everyone's stares. "Evelyn? Evelyn, is that you?" Kate asked, she stood up from her desk and Gibbs immediately marched, then plucked the phone from Kate's grasp.
Pressing it to his ear, he asked, roughly, "Evelyn, where are you?"
Fourteen Hours Earlier
Gunfire erupted around her, and Evelyn crawled underneath the picnic table. It wasn't the best cover, but she really had no other option. The seconds dragged on forever, and it seemed like an eternity had passed when all the sound ceased. Evelyn held her breath, every limb coiled tightly as she peered out from underneath the table. She saw Bassam's body lying prone on the ground, blood trickling down the side of his mouth. Her blue eyes widened a fraction and she let out a jittery breath, looking for a blonde's body on the ground. It was insane, she almost burst out with laughter, that she would prefer Ari's company over anyone's but the old saying went 'better the devil you know' and some such.
She almost let out a scream when a hand clasped around her shoulder and tugged her out from her hiding spot. "Shhh," a familiar voice told her and Ari helped her to her feet. Evelyn's eyes flickered to Marta's body that was slumped against the tree. Ari released her and she asked, her voice quivering slightly, "Are there more of them? Are we going to have to fight anyone else?"
Ari smiled slightly. We, she said implying that they were working together. She was warming up to him. He shook his head lightly, "Not here…but they will be returning soon," he searched Bassam's body and found his cellphone. Looking at his last call and text, Ari cursed darkly. Bassam had told Hamas that he was a traitor. His cover was no longer any good, as soon as his father heard, Eli would be here to take Ari back to Tel Aviv. Pursing his lips, he thought, Not if I outrun him. Well, he wanted a way out, even if it didn't go as planned. "We have to move," he told Evelyn.
"Who says I'm going anywhere with you?" Evelyn regained her wits, and narrowed her eyes on Ari. Despite the kindness he showed, that didn't mean she had forgotten that Ari had kidnapped in the first place. Nor how deadly he was.
"I'm Mossad," he told her. "I was undercover, but now my cover has been blown." He picked up the picture and put it in his breast pocket.
Shock jolted through her like lightning as Evelyn recognized the name, and she stared at him like he was something she had never seen before. Then she raised a skeptical eyebrow. "How do I know you aren't lying?" Evie asked, taking a step from as he approached her. A piece of her was soaring with hope, and she realized that she wanted to believe what he was saying. However, experience was telling her not.
"You don't," Ari told her, simply. Her blue eyes were watching him, and he wondered what it would take to make her look at him with a softer expression. Just like that brief moment where in the NCIS autopsy room. Ari let out sigh. "So much for warming up…" he muttered under his breath, and reached down taking Evelyn's gun that Bassam had claimed. He stood up back up and handed it over to her along with her cellphone. Evelyn looked between him and the gun, and slowly took it. Swiftly, she released the chamber and saw that it had a good amount of bullets left. Reloading it, she looked up at Ari and she saw that look again. It was like the one he gave her in the autopsy room, where beneath his cool exterior he was begging her to trust him.
She let out a soft sigh, her eyes dropping from his for a moment. She could try making it on her own, but if what Ari said was right, other could show up and the chase would be on. Realistically-if what Ari was saying was true-sticking with him would be safer, and with that thought, she caved. "Alright. I'll believe you…for now."
"Wouldn't expect anything else," Ari smiled, then a split second later his mask was up. "We need to be gone before the others return. They were Bassam's last call."
Evelyn nodded, following behind him that way if he tried anything funny, she could shoot him if needed. Ari smirked to himself, pleased by her caution and at the same time found it infuriating. He pulled the barn door open and approached his motorcycle before he noticed something off. Ari cursed in Arabic. Evelyn looked at him, surprised, "I take it something is not good?"
"He cut the fuel line," Ari told her, darkly. He looked at his motorcycle, touching it with a slight mournful expression and thought to himself, And this is why I can never keep nice things around. People break them.
Evelyn looked around the barn. "Where's the van?" She inquired, noting the only other vehicle was a tractor.
"The others have it," Ari explained, shortly.
"Hamas couldn't afford more vehicles?" Evelyn scoffed lightly. Ari made a noise of agreement, before quickly coming up with an idea. He kicked up the kickstand and started rolling it towards the woods. Evelyn followed him perplexed. "What are you doing?"
"They'll believe we've taken the motorcycle," Ari shoved it behind a bush, out of sight. "At least until they start checking the grounds. It might give us a chance to cut down their numbers."
"Oh," Evie murmured lightly. She checked the cellphone again, and there still was no signal. "Which way?" She asked, still feeling odd having to place her trust in this man.
Ari gestured for her to follow him. The two pushed past the bushes, and over the tree limbs. Each second that went by, Evelyn would check her cellphone praying that she wasn't making a huge mistake with Ari. Biting her lip, her eyes kept flickering over to him. How did he go from a charming normal man…to this cold, robotic version of himself? It just didn't seem humanly possible. Perhaps it was part of his training, and she felt a shudder ripple down her spine at that. She couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of training he had. When he changed shirts, she had seen the scars all over his his body. Some of them several years old which meant that he had received them when he young…very young.
He had been methodically tortured through out his whole life. It had to have been a miserable and lonely existence. As soon as the thought hit her, she scowled deeply. But if he is really Mossad, would it bad to give him the benefit of the doubt? The way he made her feel didn't help either. Hot pink washed her cheeks as her bright blue eyes touched on his before looking away.
Her hands were clenched around her gun tightly. She was too aware of his presences feeling a hum of energy in the air between them. Her entire body into a crazy state of anticipation: her heart thumping wildly, her muscles were rigid, her breathing audible and her chest felt heavy and her skin tingled. And she knew it wasn't just from the thought of them being hunted like animals because she had felt it before. When Ari had her hostage in autopsy, even then had she felt. But just because I feel something doesn't mean anything, she told her, with a violent shake of her head.
"Still think I'm the enemy Evelyn?" Ari glanced over his shoulder at him. He caught her piercing glare full of contempt, but he wasn't entirely certain it was directed at him.
Evelyn didn't reply. She had a feeling her silence was damning because Ari's lips curled upward in a smile. She narrowed her eyes at him, really wishing she could shoot him.
"Boss!" McGee voiced cried, brining the whole squad room to attention. "Evelyn's cellphone came back on!"
Gibbs shot immediately to his feet, and leaned over McGee who was furiously typing away. "Do you have a location?" Gibbs asked.
"Not yet. I'm narrowing it done as fast as I can," McGee informed him. "The cell towers the phone signal is bouncing off of are very far apart leaving a large space where she could be."
"Get Abby up here to help you get it done faster," Gibbs ordered.
"R-right away, sir," McGee got out.
"It's either Gibbs or boss. Never sir," Gibbs stated, looking at the screen. That a girl, Evelyn, he thought to himself. You keep fighting.
The unfamiliar noises sounded them. Crickets, owls, and much more. The entire they day spent walking, and the sun was setting soon to be out of the sky. Evelyn winced with every step, and she looked down at her cell phone. Still no signal and the battery was almost dried up. With a deep sigh, she made a decision and turned it off. She would check it again later, but she couldn't risk the battery going dead before she could call for help.
Ari had been silent, his single minded purpose was to get them out of this alive. There had been times when he heard shouts in the distances, and he knew Evelyn heard them too, given the small gasps she would release. They had ended quite awhile ago which either meant one of two things. One, they had given up and fled to save their own skin. Two, they were setting up a trap and waiting for Evelyn and Ari to fall right into it. Glancing up at the darkening sky, Ari knew they had about an hour before sunset would occur and that meant they needed some form of shelter. He remember an abandoned cabin was somewhere in these words, if he could lead them to it, then they would be able to rest for the night.
Evelyn felt the anxiety prickle at her scalp warningly. One night away from home had been a nightmare, but two? She glanced down at her phone, but it wouldn't even hold a signal long enough to matter. She swallowed thickly, her other hand tightening around her gun for reassurance. She moistened her lips, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other. She could do this, she told herself. She could survive this and once she was at home, in her bed safe and sound, it would all fade into a distant nightmare. She flinched at the crickets who noisily played their songs, and her stomach lurched.
"Damn it," she cursed under her breath. She was used to being different. The memories that stood out the most were the ones after she awoke from the coma with amnesia, but the worst was after the tumor was removed. The doctors said her body had to relearn how to emotional handle things, since for so long her memories and emotions had been dulled by the tumor. Some days she could cope, days like today however, it felt like her emotions were a giant churning ocean being held back by a floodwall that was cracking underneath the pressure. She felt like she was going to break. She had a feeling Ari could see it. He kept glancing at her, as if he's preparing her to dissolve into an irrational fit of tears at any moment.
"There's a cabin," Ari announced as they rounded the corner of a large tree. In a small clearly was a cabin. It looked abandoned and wore by the passing years. Evelyn ran a hand through her hair, shrugging off the light rain water and she never had been so grateful for shelter. Ari expertly picked the lock and waved Evelyn in with a wide smirk, "After you."
She stepped through the threshold and looked around. The afternoon light spilled through the room illuminating a stone fireplace, burgundy walls and the animal heads hanging from the walls. The place was covered in a fine layer of dust which it meant that it probably hadn't seen a good cleaning or person in a long time. She started forward, as Ari passed her. He went about making sure all the windows were locked and pulled all the curtains shut.
She watched him. "Are we sure we should stop?" She asked him, and her feet throbbed as if asking her why would she ask such a stupid question.
"With daylight fading we cannot risk being caught in the dark," Ari told her, his dark eyes meeting hers from across the room. "They are trained for such combat, you aren't. And while I may be better trained than them, they outnumber us."
"Oh," Evie simply said.
Ari walked out of the room, and Evelyn presumed he was going to secure the rest of the house. Evelyn rubbed her arms trying to soak up some kind of warmth. Even though she was safe from the cutting wind thanks to the surrounding walls, the house was still cold. Looking around the room, her heart leapt in her throat when she spotted a phone on the wall. She immediately stepped towards it before pausing. Her gaze looked at the door way where Ari disappeared. As much as he might believe she trusted him, didn't mean she did. At least, not as much as he thought.
Evelyn seized the phone from the cradle, and placed it to her ear. Her heart plummeted into her stomach, and she sucked in a harsh breath when silence was all that greeted her. The phone wasn't working. Giving a small groan, she practically slammed the phone back in its holder and then looked down at her cellphone. She dared to turn it on for a moment. She saw the lack of signal on it and saw the little bitty battery icon was red blinking at her ever warningly. Biting her lips, she sighed deeply before shutting off the cellphone again.
"Everything's secure," Ari's voice came from behind her. She jumped, and tried to jerk away from the phone feeling as if she were caught doing something she wasn't supposed to when she tripped over something.
She gave a cry as she fell forward. Ari whipped around, his arms shooting out and grabbing her. He pulled her tight to him, and as soon as he did he realized his mistake. The softness of her body molded against the hardness of his, and his left hand reached up against his will, tangling in her hair while his other was pressed against her back urging her towards him. His dark eyes searched her face which jerked upwards. Her blue eyes were wide startled, the pupils growing larger and her lips parted in a sigh. He wasn't the only feeling this pull, and he swallowed thickly as he drew in a deep breath. Even now her scent of strawberries and oranges perfumed the air, it was intoxicating.
Evelyn trembled, her body and mind battling one another. His arms held her gently, something she had never had before. Intimacy for her was limited to one night stands, due to her anxieties and fears. She had never been really held, and never realized how good it could feel. But with his arms around, his callous fingertips lingering on her skin, she found the pull of want winning overriding her commonsense
"I could seduce you," Ari said, his certainty as his fingers traced up her back made her release a tiny gasp. He felt her tremble, and his grip on her tightened as a powerful feeling welled up in his chest. She looked beautiful with the sun light pouring over her, making her glow like the angels he had been told of when he was little.
"You could," Evelyn admitted. She couldn't deny the flames of desire that were rising in her blood, or the ache in the center of her thighs reminding her that she was a woman with needs. He smelt like the wind and ocean, and she felt a spell of dizziness overcome her. "You could seduce me…" She whispered out as he pressed his forehead against hers. His dark eyes flamed with desire, and they reached out to her like a siren's song. Closing her eyes, she swallowed hard. "And maybe…I would enjoy it."
"You'd more than enjoy it," Ari promised, thinking wickedly of all the things he would show. He had awoken many of nights tormented by dreams of her, of the two of them driving towards the peak of pleasure. He didn't have dreams if he could help it. He had taught himself long ago not to dream of things that wouldn't come true, but Evelyn had changed that. She had changed a lot of things. His lips went to claim hers when her hand reached up, stopping it.
Her fingers trembled against his lips. "But afterwards?" She said, her voice strangled. "Afterward, I would wake up…realize what I've done, and hate myself. And I'd hate you even more."
She watched her words hit Ari like a knife to the gut and he released her like she was on fire. For a split second, she felt a twinge of regret, but she shook her head strengthening her resolve. She didn't do flings, and she most certainly didn't do them with Ari. He stared at her for a long moment, his eyes peering at her as if he had never seen anything quite like her before his expression went artic. She felt a tendril of fear root itself in her heart, but Ari did nothing.
"Look around. Let's see if the cabin provides anything useful other than shelter," he stated, his voice blank. He turned his back on her and left the room. He felt a conflict of emotions in his chest. Anger and at her rejection, yet a part of him was relieved. Evelyn was not a woman one could spend one night and walk away from and part of him was afraid that if he had her…he'd never be able to walk away. And if he wanted out of this life, he couldn't have any attachments. That after this mission, he would never see Evelyn Matthews ever again.
Gibbs wanted to hit something and badly. He had walked out of the squad room and anyone who knew what was good for them steered clear of his path. Evelyn's cell signal had completed disappeared, which left with a mountain of worst case scenarios running through his mind. Every single one was unpleasant as the next, and he let out big breath through his nose. He had been in situations like this before, hell, he had been where Evelyn had been, but there was something about this time…something about Evelyn…that made this all the more worse.
In his head, he saw all the times she looked at him with some kind of confession on her lips. All the times she looked at him as if trying to will him to understand or remember something, it all came back to plague him. He let out a long breath when a familiar voice spoke up behind him, "You look like shit, Jethro."
Gibbs nearly grounded his teeth together. He turned and gave the FBI agent a cold stare. "What are you doing here, Tobias?" He asked.
"With your agent missing, we came to lend a hand," Fornell told him, with a smirk.
"We don't need your help," Gibbs stated sharply.
"Your director thinks you do," Fornell pointed out.
"To hell his does." Hello misplaced aggression.
Sleep evaded her. The unfamiliarity of the walls and bed nagged at her, and the animal trophies hanging on the walls staring down at her didn't help either. But none of that held a cake to Ari who sleep nestled beside her. He was lying on his back, his side nestled against her back and she let out a long breath. She had never been near someone when sleeping except when she was a child, and had crawled in bed with her parents after a nightmare. But she wasn't a child, and Ari was far from her parent. He was a hot, attractive man and his body brushed herself with every breath. Her body was hyper aware against her will and she wanted to scream into the pillow.
It's okay…to be attractive to Ari. He's an attractive man, even if he's an ass. There's a difference between finding someone attractive and acting on it, she told herself, reasonably. A hand then draped along her shoulder blade, and she nearly jolted off the bed. Her breath felt knocked out of her, and Evelyn never realized how sensitive the area between her shoulder blades were until Ari's hand pressed upon them. His thumb brushing back and forth across the nape of her neck, soothingly. Her nerve endings tingled with warmth, and she felt a breath escape her. Ari spoke, his voice deep and rough, "Stop thinking so loudly, yakirati."
Her brows pinched, wondering what 'Yakirati' meant, but she did not ask. Instead, she denied his accusation, "I was not." There was a rumble that went through him, and a breathy laugh escape him. He was laughing at her! Evie felt the urge to shoot him come back.
"Yes, you were. I can practically hear all the thinking them," Ari told her, with a light chuckle. "What was on your mind?"
"Nothing you need to worry about," Evie shot back, defensively. He felt her tense and shifted away from him and resisted the urge to sigh.
"You still don't trust me, hmm?"
"You're a hard person to trust," Evelyn said, shortly.
"And why is that…" Ari questioned, tiredly.
"You mean besides you shooting me, and kidnapping me?" Evelyn sat up slightly to look at him. His expression seemed peaceful, but there was a light tremble along his jaw. "Fine. Here's why I have trouble trusting you. You act like a bastard, even you seem to want to do good you make a villain of yourself. And maybe you can blame that on your upbringing, I know it wasn't an easy one," she recalled the scars she had seen, "but at some point, we can't blame that for our choices. They become our own. Not our parents, not our loved ones responsibilities, but our own. And what we choose to do, we have to live with for the rest of our lives."
"So what are you saying, Evelyn?" Ari's voice was quiet.
"I'm saying…stop choosing to be a monster," she said, her blue eyes staring at him as if she saw all of him. Like he had no place to hide. "You choose to be a bastard because it's easier to give people what they expect. It's easier to become what they see you as. But if you really want to help people…prove that you can be a better man…stop choosing to be a monster, Ari."
Ari's eyes slid open and he looked up at her. His stare shook her to her core, deep obsidian eyes that held no real emotion. None. Yet they were brilliant, mesmerizing her. Like a cobra, she noted and couldn't help but wonder if she was going to get bitten. They stared at each other for a long moment, and he finally spoke, "I may choose to be a monster, Evelyn…but why do you choose to be the victim?"
Evelyn had no reply.
END OF CHAPTER
I had originally had this longer, but the other half I was having trouble on. Still hoped you enjoyed. THANKS