Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not Gibbs, not Ari, no one do I own. This is all for amusement. There I said it, now can someone have Ari put the gun down slowly…
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)-ARLYN SHALL RULE THE WORLD-
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 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, Rika92, Callipygian, EisForElephant, EzziBA, Curiouser-and-Curiouser101, Annika Sparks, CryDevil, Monochrome13, PayShaFan, Cosmos89, doggy bye, goldengloss, GibbsTonyZivaTim, CSIflea, FictionWriter09, ange1993, RedRiver21, winterhail, Tenshi of Heaven, MusicLover500, TwilightLover162, Romantic Journalist, JrSnape, xLyraCharlottex and andrewjeeves for the favs!
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, Pandora'sBox11, Callipygian, EzziBA, Curiouser-and-Curiouser101, leFlame, LadyMary33, swanqueen4, PayShaFan, Angelhaggis, starwarsfan1000, goldengloss, GibbsTonyZivaTim, Irjuni92, pinkrangerforever, persephone829, Forest Angel, RedRiver21, Nightwing's Gal, Emerald Pixie Dust, peacesista123, RogueShadow94, TwilightLover162, x-xLittle-Miss-Brown-Eyesx-x, x-X-x-Donna-x-X-x, xLyraCharlottex, Danielle89, Dark Alana and zebraclrgard for all the follows!
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, cwatker, Dark Alana, JrSnape, anna, TwilightLover162, Tris Holmes, Buckeye am I, RidingAngelxspy, Guest, smilin steph, 1, CSIflea, Selena, byLunaA for the reviews! THANK Y'ALL! If I have missed you and your review, or follow, or fav, just PM and I'll fix that.
Guest Reviews:
TwilightLover162: Since I couldn't reply to review through PM, I did it here. THANK YOU!
Anna: Thank ya!
RidingAngelxspy: Yep, they are learning to trust here. Nope, I actually think Evelyn is a bit sort of like Bishop myself. Probably why I like Bishop and was secretly hoping she'd be Kelly on the show, but she's blond…or is she? Lol Thanks for the review.
Guest: Yes it is. And it's coming soon. :D
1: Thank you. She will…and it kinda of did take ages to update…sorry. L
Selena: Aw, thank you so much!
I also apologize on the late update. Computer issues, sickness, and tonight, I accident stabbed myself! I was trying to open something with a knife, my Batman pocket knife (yeah, I'm a geek), and stabbed myself in the leg. Funny thing…it didn't cut my pants, but I puncture my leg somehow. How ridiculous is that? Anyways I hope you enjoy!
If you all want to gain a bit of perspective on Evelyn, listen to the song "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday. I think it summons her up quite good.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
"A Split Second Before the Truth"
Her hair was plastered to her face, her body quaking as the rain chilling her to the bone. There was a deep chasm inside her heart where it had been broken in two. Her footsteps were clumsily and half-hearted, as tear tracks ran down her cheeks mixing in with the falling rain. Evelyn curled her arms around her midsection, and fought the urge to curl into a ball and cry. She had been selfish, it occurs to her now. All her excuses, all her reasons for not telling him now felt pathetic and regret pulsed through her entire her body. She shivered, as the rain slid down her neck.
She wondered if he would come…she bit her lip so hard that it drew blood and just closed her eyes in grief. He wasn't coming. She had screwed up.
She had screwed everything up.
ONE WEEK EARLIER
It was a strange routine they had fallen into in the last week.
Her and Ari.
A strange domestic sort of thing really. She swung her feet back and forth on the porch swing a blanket rest around her shoulders as she watched the misty rain drizzle down upon the world. She had just arrived back from Gibbs's home, and went inside the house for the briefest of moments before coming out and sitting on the porch. After the spat she had with Ari, she didn't want to go back in just yet. One, she didn't know what she said to make him so standoffish and two, she didn't want to face the fact that she actually cared why he was so standoffish.
The front door craned open with a low creak, and she heard it close like a whisper. She could see him out of the corner of her eye, draped in his black shirt and black pants remind her of the old cowboy movies where the bad guy was draped in black. His footfalls were so soft, nearly nonexistence. He must have practiced until it was now second nature to be stealthy.
"You are going to get a cold."
Evie's lips quirked. She reached up and flapped the blanket slightly. "That's why I have the blanket," she told him, not taking her eyes off the grounds around them.
"Hmm." Was the reply. "Looking for Fornell's men?"
"What?" She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He looked striking leaning against the railing, his fathomless dark eyes darting around to certain points in the woods. "No," she said, her brain finally comprehending his question. "But you are."
"There are three," he said. "One there," he pointed them out. "There…and there."
"You're observant," she murmured, her lips quirking up and she shifted to fully face him.
"It's how I survive," he said, simply. It wasn't a boast, it was a matter of fact statement and for some reason, it just made Evelyn's heartache. He stepped forward, and placed his fingers just underneath her neck. She flinched back slightly as they pressed into the bruised hand print. His bruised hand print. His lips tightened, and gently caressed her pulse as if he could sooth the image away. Evie felt a sigh loosen from her throat, and pleasant hum thrum through her. She parted her lips to say something, her blue eyes locked on Ari's face.
Ari's eyes were locked on the bruises, and after a long moment, he dropped his hand back as if he had been burnt. His eyes flickered up to hers, and there was something there. Some great sadness, some great question then he spun on his heel and marched back into the house.
The door shut behind him in a whisper, just like before. And Evelyn was left on the porch wondering what just happened.
The next morning came too soon. The night had been spent with Evelyn tossing and turning as sleep evaded her. At four, she finally gave up and got up. Ari had woken up when she came downstairs and despite her telling him to go back to sleep, he remained up ever watchful. Evelyn gave a sigh cleaning up the remnants of breakfast. Most days it left Evelyn feel out of place in her own home, and Ari had done his best to stay clear of her. Every time she had caught his gaze, she saw this haunted and drained glimpse deep within his eyes before his face went blank. Her teeth were set on edge, the change in him was not a welcomed one. It had surprised her when she missed their banter, and she barely caught herself from slamming her head into the counter. She was so messed up.
She had no idea what to do with Ari. She liked to tell herself that she had been forced to let him stay by Fornell, but the truth was even without Fornell's underhanded trick she would have let him stay, if he had wanted. Another testament that she was screwed up. She sighed. She was definitely intrigued by the man, and she felt for him. He was lost and trying to find his way, just as she had been. She couldn't do less for him than Audrey had done for her. Putting another clean plate away, she released another sigh.
She was becoming fascinated by him, almost obsessed. She could really fixate on something when her interested was piqued. A part of her just wished that it had been something other than Ari. She shook her head, she thought about him way too much.
"That's your third sigh."
She nearly jumped out of her skin, and a million butterflies in the pit of her stomach. She brought up her hand and ran them through her loose messy hair, aware the heat of Ari's gaze lingered on her. "I wasn't counting," she murmured, lightly. "How are you feeling?"
He hadn't moved much, mostly when it was only necessary leading her to believe his wound was more severe than he was letting on. To see him standing here was quite a surprise. Ari propped his hip against the counter, his arms settled across his chest and his chin tilted downward as he regarded her with dark eyes. He still looked too pale, dark circles underneath his eyes and her chest tightened in worry.
Her mouth opened, and she tried to find someway of breaking the silence before she thought, Why would I want to break the silence? She gave a slight shake of her head, before putting away the last of the dishes. She placed her hands on hips, glancing out the window and the tree line warily. "I have to go out," she announced, then winced at how loud her voice sounded. "Is there anything you need?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "Anything you want?"
Ari's lips twitched in a smirk. "There are many things I want, Evelyn," he said, his voice setting off fireworks in the pit of her stomach.
Against her will, her lips lifted in a smile at seeing Ari being his normal self. She walked over to the table, picking up the pad of paper and pen. She held the out to Ari, and after a moment he took them with a rueful smile. The stoke of the pen against the paper was the only sound in the room, and she couldn't help but admire the attention he paid to each letter. A fine practiced motion, gentle but firm. She found the sight mesmerizing, and jolted when he ripped the paper none too gentle from the pad. He held it out to her, his dark eyes assessing.
"Oh." She murmured, in surprise.
Her fingers clasped the paper, she said, "I'll try to get you everything you need."
"Will you?" He asked, his voice low.
They stood there eyeing each other for a long hot moment, and she felt heat pool into her blood. How could he make her feel things from just looking at her? No one she be able to possess to be able to be able to do that with their eyes. She made to move around them, when Ari murmured, "Such an honest women."
"What?" She paused, shooting him a look.
"You try not to lie, bend the truth yes, but you try not to out right lie if you can avoid it. It's an admirable quality," Ari commented, lightly. "It also bears the question-why do you lie to them?" There was no expression on his face, but a soft understanding in his eyes. It made her breath hitch, and she felt the urge to trace the lines of his face.
"Huh?" She asked, playing dumb. She knew what he was asking, she just didn't want to answer. No, she just really didn't have an answer. A week ago, she would have said because she was waiting for the right time, but now…now that just felt like a silly excuse created to protect herself.
"Why do you lie to them? Your team? Your…" a tone of derision filled his voice and flash of hatred flickered through his gaze, "father?"
"It's not…I…" Several denials were on the tip of her tongue, but none past her lips. They were excuses. It was all excuses. "I don't know," she swallowed thickly. Evelyn folded the paper nervously, and had to look away from Ari.
"You know," Ari's voice was calm. Too calm. "You just don't want to admit it."
Evie's head snapped back towards him. "Why does it matter so much to you?" She practically snarled. "You don't care about my team. You hate my father."
"You are right on both counts," Ari inclined his head. His gaze never left her face, studying her emotions intently. He could feel the waves of distress coming off of her, and he felt slightly guilty. But his need to understand was greater and override all that. "I however do not have the same apathy towards you."
The anger fled from her, and she felt her shoulders slump. "You…what?" She blinked like a deer caught in headlights, and waiting for the inevitable impact of the crash. She was holding her breath, her blue eyes clashed against his dark eyes. His eyes were like an abyss, deep and dark. One could get lost in them, after all the abyss often gazes back. His hand caressed her wrist, and she jolted slightly but made no more to free her hand from his. He leaned towards her and when she breathed in she smelt his scent, it leaving her slightly dizzy.
Then a loud knock came from the front door.
Evelyn jumped back, while Ari jerked ever so slightly. She craned her head over her shoulder, before looking back at Ari. Carefully, she retracted her hand from Ari's and rose from the couch. "Wait," Ari called her, shrugging off his blanket.
Evelyn placed her on his shoulder blade, catching him before he could completely get up. "If there was any trouble, the agents would have already said something," Evie told him, gently urging him back to the couch. "You shouldn't be up and moving."
Ari stared at her for a very long moment as if she had once again greatly surprised him. "You're too kind," he said, his lips quirking up ever so slightly.
"Don't remind me," Evie scowled lightly. She turned on her heels, stuffing his list down in her pocket and heading towards the door. The knock came again this time even more fierce before, and she wondered who it could be. With a mean knock like that, she was betting on either Gibbs, or Fornell. Slipping on her jacket, and grabbing her purse on the way, she finally reached the door. Pulling the door open, she blinked in surprise to find NCIS resident goth.
"Abby?" Surprise flickered across her face, and she smiled at the goth who seemed to be studying the ground with an unnatural interest. "What are you doing here?" She asked, cocking her head to the side.
Abby didn't answer right away. Instead, her entire body trembled as if she were restraining herself from doing something, or trying to anyways. Her teeth were buried in her bottom lip, and she had yet to look Evelyn in the eye. A wave of dread rolled through her, and her scalp prickled in warning. "Abby?" Evelyn repeated, softly.
Abby let out a sigh, then raised her gaze. Her eyes stared right through Evie with a knowing that had her stomach in knots. "I know, Evie," Abby told her. "I know your Gibbs's daughter."
Evelyn felt like she had been punched in the gut, her body swaying as she struggled to hold on the door to keep herself up right. This…this can't be happening, her mind struggled to comprehend the words while her blue eyes stared at Abby horrified. "H-how…?" She finally managed to get out.
"That's what you have to say? How? Not if I told Gibbs? No explanation of why? Just how?" Abby nearly exploded. Gibbs was like a father to her, and not only that but a sting of betrayal was fresh in her heart. Evie had been her friend, and she had lied to all of them.
"If you had told Gibbs, it would be him here on my doorstep, not you." Evelyn was certain of that, a shudder of panic shivering down her spine. "Abby…I," Evelyn looked at her with regret before giving a sigh, and throwing a glance over her shoulder to catch Ari peeking around the corner at her. She held his gaze for a long second, and saw concern flash in his gaze at the uncertainty held in hers before she stepped outside the door, shutting it behind her and she clasped her hands behind her back. "What do you want to know?" She asked, her soft voice a whisper.
Abby clenched her black sun umbrella in her hands, after for a moment that she might actually hit Evelyn. It was a pretty good bet that she still might. Letting out an angry huff, she asked, "Why haven't you told Gibbs?"
"I didn't know how," Evie replied honestly.
"Bull," Abby grumbled.
Evie's lips thinned out. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want to fight with Abby like this. "It's not," Evelyn twisted her fingers together nervously. "Abby…it's really complicated. A lot more than you realize," she sighed, trying to figure out where to begin.
"Did you know you were his daughter before joining NCIS?" Abby asked, crossing her arms over her chest. The umbrella twirling in between her fingers in such a way that made Evelyn highly nervous that she was going to get hit.
"Yes-ow! Ow! Don't hit me!" Evelyn jumped back, her body slamming into the door in her effort to jump hastily away from the mad goth who was whacking her with the umbrella. I just know she brought that with her to hit me, she thought, returning Abby's glare with one of her own.
"Why haven't you told him?" Abby demanded in a shriek.
"I'm going to!" Evie shouted back. She reached up tugging at her hair, running her fingers through it aggravated. "I'm going to," she repeated, vehemently, but she was not longer shouting.
Abby's heart sank, Abby's heart broke. Part of her wished that Evie would have denied knowing. That it was so kind of coincidence, or fate intervening to bring father and daughter together. But it hadn't been. Evelyn knew, and Abby felt betrayed all over again. Abby closed her eyes, her mind going to the hour old memory where she stood in front of her computer, utterly baffled. It had been there on the screen, and no matter how many times she had blinked at the computer screen the results still stayed the same. It had taken two days, dodging several flags that had been put in there way and several Caf-pows for them to find the results. Part of her wishes she hadn't found it, as a heavy weight of responsibility settled onto her shoulders. The 99% blinked at her tauntingly, and her first instinct was to find Gibbs, to get him to come down to the lab because she had thought she had been hallucinating. Now she should stood before Evelyn and felt even more heartbroken. "Why did you lie to us?" Abby asked, her voice cracking as her resolve about to break.
"I didn't want to," Evelyn crossed her arms, and looked away out the tree line. She wondered if she could pick out any of Fornell's men. After sweeping the tree line, she turned back to Abby who waiting with a haughty expression. "I didn't. I haven't. Not really," she struggled, her agitate displayed it short jerky movements of her hands for she had nothing to occupy them. She shoved them into her pants pockets, and shook her head lightly when Abby didn't look a bit convinced by Evelyn's confession. "I…I was just waiting for the right time. I can't just spring this on him," she said, hoping that Abby would somehow understand. How can she understand it when you don't understand it yourself? The thought made her swallow thickly, a fresh dose of panic flooded her entire body.
She caught one of the curtains moving. She almost gave a rueful smile at Ari's paranoia, but thought better of it. Abby probably would hit her again. "Look, it's complicated," she shrugged.
"No, it's really not," Abby grounded out. "Gibbs is your father. You are his daughter. Doesn't he have a right to know about you?"
"Yes, he does!" Evie hissed. "But this isn't…isn't something I can just drop on him, Abs-"
"Don't call me that," Abby snapped. "Only my friends get to call me that, and right now, I'm sure we are still friends."
Evelyn reeled back as Abby had truly struck her, feeling her heart clench painfully in her chest. The look of hurt on Evie's face almost made Abby cave, but she thought back to the results on the computer screen, her determination returned full force. "You say you're going to tell him. Good," Abby nodded, stiffly. "But you had better, and better soon, because if you don't tell him, Evie. I will."
"Abby," Evelyn looked at her pleadingly.
"Look, Evie," Abby's voice was cold, and it was an unpleasant thing to hear, "Gibbs wanted us to find those results on your blood. He's going to ask about them, and I'm not going to lie to him. Not like you are."
A horrible noise caught in Evelyn throat. A noise between a scream and a sob, and she just stood there as the goth turned her back on her, then walked away as they had been talking about nothing more than the weather. An apt metaphor for Evelyn felt as if a bitter storm loomed over her head, waiting for the right time to strike. She wondered if she would feel it, because her body felt numb. Her arms felt heavy, and her legs felt rooted to the spot as she watched Abby drive away. This is what she wanted, she tried to reason with herself. For Gibbs to find out she was his daughter, right? There was no relief that ran through, only an overwhelming sense of dread.
Ziva sat down at the café table, with a graceful movement. Her dark eyes moving around her to make sure that no one was watching before she let them fall on the man sitting across from her. "Hello, father," she greeted, her voice neutral betraying nothing.
"Ziva," Eli David inclined his head. He set down the paper, and braced his elbows on the table, linking his fingers together. "Tell me what you've learned."
Please let this be the right decision. She didn't pray often, but given the circumstances, she felt that it was appropriate. Clearing her throat, she opened her mouth and began to talk.
The florescent lights above made her head throb and Evelyn sighed deeply, pushing the cart down the aisle with a slightly dazed look on her face. Audrey was chattering beside her and grabbing the things she needed. She jerked her head to the side, barely holding back a wince when she asked, "Did you say something, nana?"
Audrey arched an eyebrow, a slightly sly tilt to her lips. "I said, who exactly are those for?" She pointed a finger down at cart where Evelyn had just tossed a bottle of men's body wash down into. Evie blinked, and felt a flush curl up into her cheeks. "Ah, so they are for that boyfriend of yours. I saw him peeking out of the curtains when he left," Audrey commented, lightly. "He seemed quite handsome from what I saw. Still sick?"
"Yes," Evie lied, pretending to browse through more of the body wash before turning around slowly. She saw Audrey looking at her, green eyes gleaming. "What?" Evelyn asked, slowly.
"When I am going to meet this young man?" Audrey asked, bluntly putting her hands on her hips. "Or is he nothing more than a boy toy?"
"Nana!" Evie gasped, scandalized.
"What?" Audrey feigned innocence. "There's nothing wrong with a good boy toy," a wicked smirk crossed the older woman's features that had Evelyn just shake her hand fondly. "But if he is more than a boy toy…I would like to meet him."
"You will," Evelyn stated. She was resigned to the fact that Ari and Audrey would cross paths and she was also confident that Ari could charm Audrey…as long as she never found out that Ari was the one who shot and kidnapped her. If Audrey ever found out, she'd be putting that good old shotgun of hers to use that was for sure. "We'll set a date and make supper…"
"Speaking of setting dates," Audrey said, now satisfied that she'd meet her granddaughter's boyfriend. "When are you going to tell."
Evelyn grimaced, and gave a sigh. "Soon."
"That's what you said last time, dear," Audrey pointed out.
"I know! I just…" Evie broke out, her hands clutching the cart so tightly her knuckles were white. Her blue eyes stared at the ground unfocused, as her heart fell into the pit of her stomach. "Why?" Evelyn abruptly turned to Audrey, her blue eyes desperate for the answer. "Why can't I just tell him?" She asked, her voice small.
Audrey just gave her a sad smile. "Honey child, you're panicking. You push your way in, with all the power and subtlety of a freight train, and then once you are in…you panic. You aren't sure what to do, what the next step is because every time before you just run away. Even with me," Audrey said, softly.
"Nana," Evie said, a frown growing on her face.
"I know that you love me, Evelyn. I don't doubt that," Audrey patted her hand softly. "I'm just saying you have a habit of shutting yourself down, especially when you finally see a glimmer of happiness in your life. It's an unhealthy habit you've developed you see."
Evie gave a sigh, pushing her hair behind her ears in a nervous gesture. "I don't mean to panic," she whispered out. "Really, I don't. It's just…I'm afraid," she admitted, her voice almost nonexistent as she spoke. "What if…what if I tell him and he…"
"And he what, honey child?" Audrey prompted gently.
"What if he doesn't want me?"
A great chasm that had been in her heart ached with pain, and doubt. A cold sweat broke out across her upper lip and she felt tears well in her eyes as the real reason behind all her procrastinating, all her excuses was finally admitted out loud.
"Then he's a fool."
"Nana…" Evie began.
"No," Audrey's was sharp, and held no tolerance for nonsense. "You listen to me good, honey child. If he doesn't accept you into his life, and he misses out on a chance to have a life with you again, then he is a damned fool. You are sweet, brilliant woman…who wouldn't want you for a daughter?"
"A lot of people didn't," she said, recalling the various homes she had been in. Most of her youth, she had been up rooted, and moved about without any consistency. She never allowed herself to develop any attachments because who knew when she would have to be moved again.
"And they are fools," Audrey pointed out as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. A fond exasperated smile pulled at Evelyn's lips, and Audrey clasped her hands tightly. "You can't run away and panic this time, Evelyn. This is different and you know it."
"But…" Evie began in a half-hearted attempt.
"No buts," Audrey said, firmly. "You have to try, Evelyn. If you don't, you'll regret it for the rest of your life and you'll be left wandering why forever." Audrey gave her hands a comforting squeeze before letting them go. "Now, I shall be over in the pharmacy getting my prescription so you can make your call in private, hmm?"
"How do you know I'll be making a call?" Evelyn raised an eyebrow.
Audrey just smiled serenely. "My dear, haven't you learned anything from living with me?" Audrey gave a teasing wink. "I know everything."
Evelyn couldn't fight the chuckles, and walked Audrey sashay away. She stood there for a long moment, rocking to and fro on her heels before letting out a sharp sigh. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, her thumb running across the screen as her heart began to race inside her chest. She took in a deep breath, before punching in a familiar number and pressed the phone to her ear.
Here goes nothing.
Gibbs watched as the team finished processing the crime scene. This case actual sent a shiver down his spine. A mummified woman dressed in a wedding that was chained in a hidden room. Judging by what they found, she had been abandoned to die a slow and very painful death. There weren't many crime scenes that gave him pause, but this one admittedly did.
"Everything is all loaded up, boss," Tony called over to him. "We are just waiting on you."
"Alright, let's-" Gibbs began when his cellphone rang. He gestured for Kate and Tony to get into the van, while he pulled out his cellphone pinching the bridge of his nose hoping that it wasn't Marrow or Fornell. "Gibbs," he barked.
"Uh…" came the unsure voice. "He-e-ey, boss."
Gibbs raised an eyebrow. He recognized Evelyn's voice right away, and he couldn't help but smirk slightly at the unsure tone in her voice. "You aren't coming back to work early this time, Matthews," he told her, amusement laced in his voice. "Get used to bed rest."
"No," Evie said, quickly. "No, it's not that…although that would be nice. I'm going stir crazy at the house. I really would love to be there instead of here, because here I'm currently standing in a store which is as boring as it sounds and-"
"Evelyn," Gibbs cut her off. "You're rambling."
"Right…right, sorry, boss," her voice went meek.
Gibbs frowned now. "Matthews…" he said, slowly. "Is there something you need to tell me?" He could feel it in his gut, an unpleasant twist and the silence on the other end of the phone only confirmed his suspicions. "What's wrong?" He asked, concerned.
"Gibbs," Evelyn's voice cracked. "Gibbs, I'm so sorry."
Now the twist in his gut was painful. Gibbs felt panic lodge in his throat, and his jaw clenched. "Don't apologize," he began to say, but a watery, bitter laugh cut him off.
"Sign of weakness. I know," Evelyn sniffled. "But I have to Gibbs. I went about this all wrong. I thought I was making the right choices, but I made the easiest ones. The selfish ones and…God, I'm so sorry."
"Evelyn," he kept his voice soft hoping to placate her to understand what was wrong, "what are you sorry for?"
Her could hear her shaky breath, and for a moment he thought she wasn't going to reply. When she did, her voice was quiet, "It's…it's not something I can tell you over the phone. It's…important, and a simple phone…I have to tell you to your face," she finally made a coherent sentence. "So when…your case lets up, I'll meet you at your basement, okay?"
Gibb pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Evelyn," he started, and that's when he heard Evelyn's sharp intake of breath.
Then gunshots.
END OF THE CHAPTER
Next chapter! Evelyn has a strange encounter at the store, while Abby contemplates telling Gibbs and Evie finally reveals why she has kept the truth all this time-to Ari!
Again this chapter didn't turn out how I set out to do it. I had to split it in half, so if I promised things in the last chapter will be in the next.
Rrs are always appreciated.