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, JamesBond2007, Lizzy2586, SkullKey4758, Shades-Soul, lightningx94, ihateyoubaby, GryffindorWolfSlytherinHybrid, I am One with the Wind and Sky, OzNCISLover, Suddenly Psychotic, ElizabethMartin101, summercampgoddess, LTree16, RedEyedSurprise, katgirl9585, EmeraldFox01, Flausch, RAD092515, LegalAddiction20, ginny917, Som3on3, dogsrme, Hikari no Hoshi, 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, JamesBond2007, Lizzy2586, SocietyMember, SkullKey4758, Shades-Soul, tomboy4997, ihateyoubaby, lachicarebelde22, D3ANwasH3R3, othlvr16, GryffindorWolfSlytherinHybrid, Firecrane930, Dreamsb223, I am One With the Wind and Sky, Paddy and Moony's Angel, Suddenly Psychotic, gotta-love-acheron, Ugla, Willow Tree 26, Soccergirl0388, Collingwood39, Jowin28, sammyboyaldaway, BoredZero, RedEyedSurprise, katgirl9585, EmeraldFox01, Stars2008, Darkwitch716, NavyGirl05, bloodshadows, LegalAddiction20, Skyagon, jowhity, Som3on3, Rianna Hunter, dogsrme, Hikari no Hoshi, Souls of the Blue Fire Pheonix 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 And I know I lost some favs, and follows, but I'm keeping y'all on here anyways.
Wanna give a special thanks to, Emerald Pixie Dust, ByLunaA, SocietyMember, OzNCISLover, Buckeye am I, cwatker22, Burned Spy, LTree16, SuddenlyPyschotic, Skyagon, ginny917, Romantic Journalist, Someone and RidingAngelxspy 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:
RidingAngelxspy: Great minds do think alike! :D Thank you, glad you liked the ending. Have to give props to Buckeye am I for that though because I got the idea really from him. I felt that Evie needed to make the move, I mean, Ari was more than willing but it meant more for her to take the first step. Jenny was a surprise for me to because I honestly didn't think I was going to put her in until I started typing and she found her way in there. I am going to assume that yes, they know each other and it will come into play later. I was happy to get the story update that quick too. Hopefully since I am finishing it up, and there will be about…five chapters? Left, the updates will be quicker. Ah, thank you so much. I appreciate the support, and wish you well in your endeavors too. *bunches of hugs*
Someone: I'm awesome. Thanks for asking. I updated quicker than I even imagined, lol. You don't have to write fan fictions to have an account. I hate this account for a long time before I decided to post up anything. I felt like I had to explain why Ari went all dark, why he fell into the hole and why Evelyn could pull him out. Oh, the teammates reactions to Evie beings Gibbs daughter are in this chapters, hope you enjoy them.
Hmm, Ziva or Kate? I like them in different ways you could say. Both women challenged him, but the dynamics of the relationships were different. Kate and Tony's relationship was carefree almost. A classic romance, girl meets boy and hates him, and boy eventually-or would have-change her mind and show he's a better man than she thinks. With Ziva, it's more passionate. They have this connection, and they are always drawn back together, despite the bumpy history they've created. But…I like Ziva more. I like the chemistry the two of them shared more than I liked Kate and Tony's chemistry.
The actress I would get to play Evelyn…would be Rebecca Herbst. She plays on General Hospital as Elizabeth Webber, and ever since I was a little girl, I have loved her character through the good, the bad, and the drama. Oh, go for it. I would love to see what you would come up with. :D I haven't heard of that show before, but I will definitely look into it. I usually like history based shows, they always seem to capture my imagination. Thank you again for your amazing review!
I usually answer all reviews, but if I have missed you this time around I am sorry. I've honestly forgot the reviews I've responded to, and those to I haven't. Again I apology and will try to get to all the ones for this chapter.
Man, I thought I would have this chapter done early, but I got suckered into writing another fan fiction for the Hobbit (go check it out, it's Made of Stone), and I may have become addicted to Skyrim. Really addicted. Two weeks straight of Skyrim. Do you think I need a help group? lol
Chapter Twenty-Two
'When Everything Comes Together'
Daylight spilt through the windows, and woke Evelyn from her comfortable sleep. She gave a small content yawn, and stretched out ever so slightly. She was warm, and comfortable and she couldn't remember a time that she had slept so well. She shifted furthered into the solid, warmth with a breathy sigh and then the warmth started to rumble with silent chuckles. Her eyes snapped open, her heart jolting inside her chest as she registered the hands and arms wrapped around. Her first instinct was to bolt, to panic and her body tensed preparing to do just that. "Shhh, yakirati," Ari's voice caressed the shell of her ear. "It is only me."
She was silent and tense, reminding him of a caged animal debating whether or not to bite. Ari was sitting half way, and had been awake for several minutes now just content with waking her sleep. He waited patiently. It took a few minutes before she allowed herself to relax back into his arms, resting her head upon his stomach. Evelyn had to trust him at her own pace, and he had to patient with her. There was no pushing her. He remained silent, patiently.
Her breaths evened out, and her heart beat steadied. Slowly she shifted until she was looking straight up at Ari who gently brushed her hair out of her face. "Good morning," she said, slightly breathless.
He smiled, and it was beautiful. "Good morning, Evelyn," he said, rolling her name off his tongue in way that made her shudder. The good kind. A sleepy smile came to her lips, and she entwined her hand with one of his. "How are you feeling?"
"Better than yesterday," she murmured. Ari said nothing, just stared down at her searching to see if she really meant that or was putting on a face. A breathy chuckle escaped her, and she found herself leaning forward to rest her cheek against his chest. She could hear his steady heartbeat against her ear, and she let her eyes drift closed listening to the beat. Ari hummed, holding her as if she were something fragile like porcelain or china. As she laid there warm and content, her mind drifted lazily until a spark of awareness shot down her spine. Yesterday came flooding back, and Evie tried not to groan pitifully.
She had to get up. There were some many things she had to do, mainly damage control with Gibbs. A conversation she wouldn't say she was entirely looking forward to, but one that needed to be had just the same. At first she had no motivation to get up. No will to do so because the fear was holding her back, but she knew she couldn't avoid it forever. Avoidance so far had lead to nothing, but her problems to triple in size and promptly explode in her face. With a tiny sigh, she pushed herself up into a sitting position and Ari's hand that was brushing through her hair came to rest upon the back of her neck. She looked up at him through her eyelashes, and she stated quietly, "I have to go out."
The thumb that had been brushing along of the nape of her neck trembled while the rest of him became still like stone. "Are you certain that is wise?" He asked, gently tugging on her hair.
"Probably not." Certainly not. Not with all that was going on, but no one had ever accused her of being wise. "But I have to," she stated, softly. She needed to talk to Gibbs. Even if it didn't work out for the best, there were still things that needed to be said on both ends.
"With your luck, I have a feeling I should be worried," Ari said, eyebrow arched.
Evelyn sent him a dry look. "You think you are so funny," she said, lips pursed as she rose off the couch. "No. You shouldn't worry. Nothing is going to happen. I'm just…" she paused, briefly closing her eyes and expelling a sigh before picking up her cellphone. Her lashes lifted and the full impact of her blue eyes hit him. There was no fear, no anger, just a deep sadness. "I wanted him to come after me. All these years, I wanted him to come to me. I've been expecting some kind recognition and for him to recognize me. But that's not fair, I know it's not," she said, shaking her head side to side as she slid on her coat. "I should have told the truth from the beginning and maybe things wouldn't be so messed up right now. So now, I have to make things right," she said, slipping on her jacket. "I have to go talk to my father."
Ari kept his face carefully composed showing nothing he felt for Gibbs, because this wasn't about him. This was about Evelyn, and he knew once Evelyn made up her mind she was set upon it. "Then you're going to be smart about it. You will be prepared and careful. Right?" Ari demanded, more than asked.
She was silence for a moment, watching him. Slowly her face split into a soft smile. "Always," she promised, then she walked out of the room. Time past by too fast for her liking and the next thing she knew she was already dressed, and reaching for her coat when Ari's hand landed on her shoulder. She jolted in surprise, and turned to face him.
"Aspirin?" She blinked. She had a headache, no doubt from tears and perhaps her long walk in the rain, but she hadn't thought Ari noticed. He smirked at the surprise on her face while he pressed the pill into one hand, and the cup into the other. Evelyn may be able to take care of herself, but she often forgot to when her concern for others came into play. She was selfless like that, though she would often argue that she was quite the opposite. He reached out, stroking her hair loving the way it flowed and cradled her face. She reminded him of the sea. Gentle and calm one second, then stormy the next.
He did not know the extent of the feelings on her side, though he knew she felt something, but Ari felt like a man drowning. Once he allowed himself to acknowledge his feelings for Evelyn, they quickly consumed him and now, he couldn't deny the want to have her care for him just as badly as he loved her. She leaned away from his touch, just briefly to swallow the pill and chase it down with a drink of water. Setting the cup on the table, she looked up at him. She could see it. The tension coiled along his arms and legs. A restlessness.
It wasn't surprising. A man like Ari cooped up? It was a recipe for disaster. She knew the stir crazy feeling well, and smiled. "There's a punching bag in the basement," she told him, suddenly. "Stored away in the closet. You can get it out."
"You are feeling stir crazy," she told him, not bothering to hide her amusement.
"You noticed," he said, taking the cut from her and setting it down. He had to admit that he found it pleasing that she was just aware of him as he was of her and it made him smile slightly.
"Kind of hard not to," Evelyn told him, bluntly. "You all fidgety and jumpy. I know the feeling of being cooped up very well."
"Hence the punching bag," Ari stated, with a half smirk.
"Now, you're getting it," Evie chuckled, then she abruptly halted. "Oh…yes. My grandmother may be stopping by-"
"I thought she had a heart attack."
"Like that's going to stop her," Evelyn sighed, heavily. "My grandmother is stubborn. She won't stay in a hospital, even if she should," Evie said, with a rueful smile.
"Sounds familiar," he grinned.
She shot him a dark look that was ruined by the twitching of her lips. "Cute," she told him, dryly. "Anyways, I have no doubt that she will barging in first chance she gets, and she does that. Barges in with no warning, so be prepared and…" she gave an unsure shrug, and a helpless little smile at him. "Hide?"
Ari gave her a dry amused smile. "I think I could handle your grandmother," he told her, with a little chuckle.
"No one can handle Audrey," she said, quite serious. "And don't try to charm her by using your dimples. Audrey won't fall for it."
"You fell for it," Ari pointed out.
Evie looked affronted. "I did not," she denied, vehemently.
Ari just gave a dimple smile, and her heart stuttered slightly in her chest. Pursing her lips, she glowered at him through narrowed eyes. "So you've got a charming smile. Doesn't mean I fell for it," she told him, firmly.
"Then what did you fall for?" He asked, genuinely curious. His dark obsidian eyes admired her classic, pixie like features and the way her hair fell around her face. Her enormous blue eyes had froze on him, and her pink lips parted clearly taken aback by the question.
"Your eyes," she replied, faintly after a moment.
Ari blinked, surprised. "My eyes?" He repeated.
She gave him a cheeky smile while pulling her hair out from underneath her collar, and flipped it over her shoulders and out of the way. Then she slowly and hesitantly she leaned forward to brush his lips against hers. His hands reached up caress her face, his lips moving against hers. Sweet and slow, a different kind of kiss than the ones they shared last night yet just as wonderful. The taste of him-like cinnamon and wind-made her toes curl, and her skin tingle in ways that she had never felt before. She pulled away slowly, and rest her forehead against his for a long moment. "I'll be back soon," she vowed, softly.
Gibbs took a deep, even breath. "That him?" Gibbs came to stand by Fornell, looking through the one way mirror into the interrogation room. In the metal chair cuffed to the table was a young man, probably in his mid twenties. He had a busted lip, and black eye and a cold, emotionless look in his eyes as he stared straight forward.
"Yep, that's him," Fornell said, handing over a cup of coffee.
Gibbs glanced at the FBI agent taking in the discoloration around his broken nose and eyes, and suppressed a smirk while taking the offered coffee. "He talk yet?" Gibbs asked, lightly. His gaze back on the suspect. The man who tried to frame Evelyn and his gut twisted in rage.
"Nope. He's kept his mouth shut tight," Fornell grimaced.
"Well, we will see how long that lasts," Gibbs said, downing his coffee. The hot burn jolting awareness through his body, and he tossed into the trash while making his way out the door. He slammed into the interrogation room, and was pleased when the man in the chair jumped.
"Let's get one thing straight," Gibbs said, sharply. The expression on his face was thunderous, and his stark blue eyes cold. "The only reason you're still alive is because the FBI got to you first, and don't think that the fact that you're sitting in this interrogation means that can't change."
"Yes. Thank you," Tony's voice sounded pleasant, but his face painted a very different story. His brow were drawn downward, and the lines around his eyes crinkled with distress. He planted the phone back into its reciever none to gently and glowered at him. "For nothing," he muttered, underneath his breath. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, because none of them really got to go home and sleep. Instead, they were working themselves to the bone to find out who and why someone would want to hurt Evelyn, or frame her for that matter. A curse from the desk adjacent from him, made his head snap up and he found himself looking at an equally frustrated Kate shifting through a mountain stack of papers.
"What's got your panties in a bunch, Kate?" Tony said, eager to turn his attention from something other than work. Teasing Kate was always lightened his mood. "Have a bad date?"
Kate paused, tossing him a dry look. "Instead of focusing on my love life like you do so much, Tony, perhaps you should help me focus on proving that Evelyn is innocent."
"Oh, but I have helped, Kate," Tony said, rising from his chair with a smug smirk. "See I just got off the phone with the police department, and a couple of officers recall a few witness claiming the man started the altercation, not Evelyn."
"Then what's the problem?" Kate blinked.
"The cops misplaced their statements and now have to retake them," Tony stated.
"Of course they did," Kate sighed, heavily. "You know what I don't get?" She sighed, placing her hands flat on her desk, her dark eyes scanning across the papers. "Why someone would want to do this to Evelyn? I mean, if it were you I would understand it-"
"Hey!" Tony said, offended.
"Well, it's true," Kate said, unrelentingly.
"You know," Tony said, after watching Kate for a long moment and sat upon the edge of her desk so he could look down at her. "You act like a nine year old girl."
Kate froze. "Pardon me?" She asked, affronted.
"When expressing attraction. Picking fights, throwing insults around. What happens when you reach your crescendo? Do you punch the object of your affection in the arm?" Tony asked, leaning towards her with a wide smirk upon his lips. He was pleased to note that the corner of Kate's mouth had tilted upward and a light pink dusty across her cheeks.
"That, Tony," she rose from her desk, with papers in hand and looked his straight in the eye, "is something you'll never find out." And with the last word, she walked around him and he watched her until she was out of sight.
He could still smell her perfume, it lingered long after she was gone and it struck him in that moment that Tony had it bad. Gibbs's rule was a nagging reminder in the back of his mind, but with the passing days that reminder got quieter and quieter as he found more and more things to lov-like! Like about Kate. Running his hands down his face, Tony stood up and was about to head back to his desk when a voice called out to him.
"Hello, Tony."
Tony jumped as if shocked, whirling around in his chair to see Evelyn standing there looking uncertain. "Hello…uh, Evelyn," he fumbled for the words. He momentarily thrown off guard. It wasn't everyday you faced your coworker who happened to be your boss's long lost daughter. He was still confused about that, but he mustered up a smile for his friend. "You look better."
"Thanks, I think," her head was cocked to the side, and her gaze swept from him to the rest of them squad room. It felt like forever since she had been here. With her luck the insurance policy that NCIS gave probably sky rocketed, she mused with a tiny bit of laughter. Her expression quickly solemner when she noticed the lack of Kate and Gibbs. "So…where…" she paused, giving an awkward motion of her hand. "Where is everyone?"
"Gibbs is in interrogation. Kate's following up a lead," Tony replied, cryptically. His eyes were slightly narrowed, and were reevaluating the woman before him. His face was serious, an expression that Tony only wore when the situation was dire. It made Evelyn's gut twist to see it there because of her because out of everyone in NCIS, Tony had become like a brother to her and in all honesty, he was her best friend.
"How are you feeling?" He asked, after a moment.
"I've been worse," she said, honestly.
"Hmm." Tony stared at her intensely, and Evie couldn't help but be a little apprehensive. It was very easy to forget that Tony wasn't entirely the playboy prankster that he acted, and was indeed quite fierce underneath it all.
"Tony…I…" she looked at him, sadly. She didn't get to finish because Tony pulled her into a tight hug. To say she was move than little surprised was an understatement. "Uh, Tony? What…what's the hug for?" She asked, bemused.
Tony pulled back. "You're my friend. You're going through a hard time, and you really looked like you needed one," he told her, simply. At to Tony, it was that simple.
Evelyn gave him a smile. "You know, when you want to be…you can be quite the gentlemen," she said, teasingly. "Kate doesn't know what she is missing out on."
Tony shifted ever so slightly. Him and Kate…well, it felt like they were on the verge of something, but every time they were almost there something always made one of them back up. "You're Gibbs's daughter. How did that happened?" He changed the conversation.
"Well, when a man loves a woman, Tony…"
"Evelyn."
The seriousness in his tone cut through her cheeky reply, and her impish grin fell. She heaved a long sigh, before straightening her shoulders and looked at him straight in the face. "Yeah, Gibbs is my dad," she replied, tapping her fingers against her thigh to a beat only she could hear.
"Hmm." Tony had a look on his face as if he wasn't sure how to digest that information, or was trying to make sense of it. "I guess it makes sense. You always did have that kind 'off limits' feel for me, not mention I now know the reason why your glares send bolt of panic down my spine. You do have his eyes."
Said eyes were staring at Tony warily as if waiting for the other shoe to drop, and Tony frowned, deeply. He wasn't exactly sure what to do with this information, but he did know that Evie had his back on more than one occasion and he couldn't just ignore that in favor of this big secret.
"How long have you known?" He asked.
"For a while," she answered.
"Before you started here? Before you came to NCIS?" He questioned, his eyes on her like a hawk.
A shaky breath parted her lips. While she had expected the conversation with Gibbs to be hard, she hadn't thought of facing the rest of the team. "Yeah," she nodded, blinking her watery eyes. "That's…that's why I applied here to NCIS," she said, thinking it would be better to be honest. "I wanted…I wanted to get close to him, to have trust me before I…" She exhaled a sharp breath. "Well, you can guess the rest."
"I can," he nodded, slowly. "Look, Evie…you're my best friend, and I know you came here with no intention on hurting him, but-"
"Tony," she smiled at him, a sadness in her eyes, "I get it. I get what you are trying to say so you don't have to say it."
A sigh a relief spilled through Tony's lips and he finally relaxed for the first time since she arrived in the squad room. He gave her his crooked grin, and said, "Good because I like you, Evie, and I don't really like the idea of threatening you." But I would for Gibbs, was left unsaid, but Evelyn caught it all the same.
Her smile became a bit more genuine. "Oh, by the way," she remembered an inane conversation that the two of them had, but had never finished. "Sherlock Holmes."
Tony looked aghast. "Why would you choose him? James Bond is by far the better of the two. Honestly how is it even a contest?" He asked, mock offended.
Evelyn could never say how relieved she was as Tony easily fell back into banter with her. It helped soothed some of her nerves. "But Sherlock has the power of deduction!" She said, crossing her arms over her chest.
"And Bond has the power of his gadget, ergo, Bond wins!"
"Intelligence could outwit the best of gadgets," Evie said, with her nose in the air. Tony opened his mouth, when another voice cut into their conversation.
"DiNasto. Matthews."
Evie and Tony turned, and both their mouths dropped open in sync. "Oh, my god," Tony looked like Christmas had come early, while Evelyn covered her mouth in shock. "What happened to your face?" Tony blurted out, with a chuckle.
Fornell glowered. A thin brace had been placed over his nose, and his nose as well underneath his eyes was disclosed a dark purple. Someone had hit him, and had hit him good. His eyes flickered over towards Evelyn, and he had a very desponded look on his face. It suddenly clicked inside her head.
"Gibbs hit you, didn't he?" Evie blurted out before she could help herself and Fornell's desponded look turned into an outright glowered. "Oh, I hope there is pictures."
"I hope there is video footage," Tony said, with a smirk.
Fornell huffed, angrily. "DiNozzo, you need to come with me," he gestured for Tony to follow him.
"Is this payback for Gibbs hitting you?" Tony asked, his good humor faltering. There was a bit of unease upon his face as the FBI agent's glare fell upon him.
"Unfortunately, no," Fornell said, grumpily. "However, what I need you for is not something that can be said in front of the main suspect."
"If this is about the incident at the store," Evie glared, darkly, "it was self defense."
"I have no doubt, but someone wants to create some doubt because we are having a hell of a time clearly you of it," Fornell stated, with a mocking sort of smile. "Ending up in jail might cut in your free time with your boyfriend."
"Boyfr…" Evelyn voice trailed off. Oh, shit, was the first thought that went through her mind and it was hard not to grimace when Tony glanced at her, clearly shocked that he had yet to hear anything of a boyfriend. Fornell's jab might have appeared on the surface as a senseless jab, but Evelyn knew what it really meant. People knew that she was hiding Ari, or at least suspected and wanted to her out of the way. All the color drained from her face, when she also realized that she had unintentionally thrown Audrey into harm's way. "Yes," her voice sounded suspiciously faint to her own ears. "I imagined it would."
Tony blinked, surprised by the lack of a witty retort. He opened his mouth, but Fornell tugged on his arm. "We don't have all day, DiNasto," the FBI agent said, firmly. "Places to be, people to interrogate."
Tony sent Evie an exasperated look over his shoulder, that had a reluctant smile split her face until he and Fornell were out sight. Her smile promptly fell, and her blue eyes were filled with turmoil as she chewed on her bottom lip. She ran her hands down her face, and thought hit her.
I take too much.
She did. She took a lot of things for granted, jumping in head first without fully thinking it all through and now it had put the ones that she loved most in the line of fire. She felt the familiar ache of tears building behind her eyes, and the knot of emotions that swelled in her throat were almost unbearable. But she didn't not allow herself to cry. Wallowing in self-pity never did anyone a bit of good and the choices had already been made. She couldn't exactly take it all back…and honestly, she wouldn't.
She would just see it through and make sure everyone she cared about came through unscathed. Hopefully, she thought her gut twisting violently. She was so lost in thought that she hadn't noticed Kate walk up until the other woman tapped her shoulder causing her to jump like a wild, startled cat.
"Kate, don't do that!" Evie whirled around, placing a hand to her chest. Her heart was thudding wildly against her ribcage.
"You look better," Kate choked back her laughter, and tried to appear nonchalant.
Evie gave her a sour look, not in the least bit fooled for a smile kept tugging at the other woman's lips. "So everyone keeps telling me," she stated, brushing off imaginary specs of dust from her jacket. "You all should seriously stop. It might start giving me a complex."
"We wouldn't want that," Kate said, humoring her.
"Of course not," Evie said, with a tired sort of grin then her expression went serious in a split second. It always threw Kate how easily and swiftly Evie's emotions shifted. "Are you going to go all Spanish Inquisition on me, too?" The question was posed lightly, but there was a heaviness that settled over Kate at the words.
For a several moments, Kate wasn't sure what to say. She carefully considered Evelyn, and everything that had happened from her joining the team to the revelation of her being Gibbs's daughter. "I am not going to judge you, if that's what you are worried about. Mostly I'm just concerned, and I just want to know why didn't you tell us," Kate said, her brown eyes filled with compassion.
Evie looked at Kate, for a long heavy moment before rolling her shoulder while simultaneously releasing a sigh. "I wanted to. Several times I found it on the tip of my tongue, but I just couldn't get past the fear," Evie admitted, blanching at how overly dramatic she sounded. Kate must have noticed because the woman was concealing a smirk. "I thought…I thought I was protecting Gibbs. You know, trying not to hurt him because I knew he had already been through a lot," Evie admitted, rubbing her arms.
"But," Evelyn breathed out, "I was only trying to protect myself. I thought…" her voice faltered, and her carefully woven mask cracked. "I thought maybe he wouldn't want me, that he would reject me."
"Gibbs would never do that," Kate placed a hand on Evie's arm gently.
"I know that. In my head I know that," Evelyn gave a watery laugh, wiping her eyes before the tears fell because honestly, she had been way too emotion and was pretty sick of crying. "But it isn't that easy."
Kate stared at Evelyn, her mouth slightly parted in surprise. She knew Evie had a long, rough life. She knew the kind of things she had endured, the uncertainty of it all had left deep scars that had never gotten the chance to fully heal. Gibbs was going to have his work cut out for him, but in the end, Kate knew that Gibbs knew it would be worth it. "It will get easier," Kate promised, softly. "It might not seem like today, or anytime soon, but it will. And we will all be here for along the way to remind you. We are a team, remember?"
Evelyn felt her face soften into a smile. "Yeah, you're right," she admitted.
"Good. Now let's get this stuff figured out before Gibbs get back because honestly I'm not in the mood for a head slap," Kate grimaced. "Gibbs has been mean ever since you've been gone."
"Perhaps he'll be nicer since I'm back?"
"Somehow, I think he'll find a reason to be worse."
The moment Ari took the last step out of the basement, and into the hallway, he knew something was instantly off. There was itch on the back of his neck, instantly alerting and he could smell the faintest traces of a perfume. Wind song it was called. His mother had always been fond of it, and his lips thinned into a tight line.
Evelyn's grandmother was here. He tried to move, to escape back down to the basement quietly, but his feet seemed to have other ideas as they kept him in place. Where the hell was his ingrained sense of self-preservation? And why had it failed him now? He caught the shadow of movement out of the corner of his eye, and turned to face the older woman who scowled at seeing him. His eyebrows shot upward, bemused. "Hello…" he stated, cautiously.
"So," Audrey Webster came to halt in front of him eyed him up and down, her expression pinched and tight. She looked surprisingly good for someone who just had a heart attack the other day, though she couldn't quite hide her grimaces as she moved nor did her make up completely conceal the ashen tone to her skin. "You are the cat that my granddaughter decided to drag in. Reese James, wasn't it?"
"Yes," he lied, easily and with a smile on his face. He wasn't sure if he should be offended or not, but he thought best to let it slid. He did not want to get on the wrong foot with Evelyn's grandmother. "And you must be Audrey," he said, charmingly. "Evelyn has told me so much about you."
"Indeed?" Audrey arched a brow. "She has spoken little of you, and I can't help, but to wonder why."
Ah, so this is where Evelyn developed her sharp tongue, he thought, his admiration for the woman that took Evelyn in growing even more. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you," he said, but Audrey merely brushed past him.
"Well," Audrey said, her expression sour. "We shall see about that now, won't we? And Mr. James, it's Ms. Webster," she added, very serious as she strode past him into the house. "Not Audrey. Now, come along, I am fancying a spot of tea and you have the time to indulge an old lady for a few questions, don't you? I want to know all my granddaughter hasn't told me about you."
That shouldn't have sounded so foreboding, Ari thought. But it did and he found himself, reluctantly closing the front door and following the older woman to Evelyn's kitchen. Perhaps he should have taken Evelyn's advice and simply hide. Too late now.
"Ah, Jethro," Ducky looked up from the body that he was working on to see Gibbs strode in through the doors. He looked like he had run himself into exhaustion. "What are you doing down here? Was there something you need?"
"I needed somewhere quiet to think," Gibbs admitted, the steel slab icy cold against his flattened palms. His eyes stared at Ducky who stood at the other metal slab examining a body.
"I suppose the dead do make for quiet company," Ducky stated, not in the least bit thrown by Gibbs presence as he worked on the body. "As for myself, well, I'm not sure I can say the same thing," he said, with a cheeky sort of grin. "However, if I may be so bold…what is exactly weighing so heavily upon your mind, Jethro?"
Gibbs was silent for a long moment before murmuring her name. "Evelyn," he breathed out. He couldn't help, but wonder if she really liked being called that. Did she ever let anyone call her Kelly? Did she even consider that her name at all? The name that he chose for her, the name that seemed to suit her so well.
"Ah, yes, I've heard about the case. Sadly, the police was allowed to use their ME," Ducky stated with a scowl. "I haven't gotten the report they promised me yet, so I fear I will be little help-"
"No, no, Ducky," Gibbs sighed, running his hands down his face as he struggled to stand tall on his feet. "It has nothing to do with the case, Ducky."
Ducky paused. "A personal problem then?" He asked.
"Yeah," Gibbs let out a bitter chuckle. "Yeah, you could say that." He stared hard at the wall, his hands clenched into tight fists at his side. "She's my daughter," the words slipped past his lips, and unlike at the police station where he was too scared, too mad to let them sink in, they cut deeply here now when the walls seemed to echo his shaken voice back at him.
"Oh. Oh, well, I had suspected that."
Gibbs went still, then he raised his head to glower accusingly at Ducky. "You what?" His voice soft, giving away nothing of the rage underneath. Betrayal lanced through him, much more intense than it had with the Director or Fornell. He always counted on Ducky, told Ducky things he would never tell another living soul and to find out that he knew, it crushed him.
"I didn't know. Not for certain, but I always had this…gut feeling," Ducky admitted, setting his utensils down and stripping the latex gloves off of his hands. He gave Gibbs a flat look. "She is the spitting image of you, Jethro. She has your eyes, and how you could not see that is beyond me."
Gibbs let out a long, breath and felt the anger that fueled him for most of the day drain out of him leaving him feeling empty. He ran his hands through his hair roughly. "Why didn't you tell me, Ducky? Why didn't you say something?" He asked, more tired now than angry.
Ducky's eyes flickered downward for the briefest of seconds, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. "It was not my place, Jethro," he stated, his voice filled with compassion and sympathy. "And I couldn't in good conscious tell you of my suspicious because if Evie hadn't turned out to be your daughter, I would have gotten your hopes…" the medical examiner looked weary and all his years in that moment. "You can't outrun this, Jethro. I know there is a lot of grief, and a lot of pain attached to this, but you have been handed a miracle. A honest miracle. Those don't happen everyday, and you can't let the fear of pain get in your way because if you do, you are underestimating the connection between a father and a daughter. And if you think you can just let Evelyn walk away from this because you're afraid and never look back, never wonder…then you wouldn't be the man that I know that you are."
Gibbs clenched his teeth tightly. Pain. It would always been there when he thought of Shannon and Kelly. It would always be attached to every good memory, and hurt like hell when he thought of the bad ones. The pain would go away, people had said. You just have to ride it out. But it never went away, not really. He managed it, pushed to the back of his mind and kept it locked away as tightly as he could. But it always kept creeping back in, hitting when he least expected it. "Why? Just why did she not tell me?" Gibbs asked, his voice rough and raggedy with emotions. "Why didn't she trust me?"
Ducky looked at him, compassionately. "I can't tell you Evelyn's motives, or why she did what she did. Only she can tell you that. That being said," the medical examiner smiled, genially at him. "She looks at you as if you hung the moon. She would follow you into hell if you asked, and she would give no complaints. No trouble because she trusts you, Jethro. She has always trusted you. It is herself that Evelyn has never learned to trust."
Gibbs swallowed thickly, and he gave Ducky one last glance before walking out the door. It fell shut with a loud thud, and Ducky sighed deeply. "Stubborn the both of them," he spoke to the body laying on the slab. "Like father, like daughter. Let's just hope they get this right…" he sighed, glancing at the door.
Okay, Abby was having a mini meltdown…of like epic proportions, but she digressed. The sting of betrayal that had hit her over the discovery of Evelyn being Gibbs's daughter had lessened until Abby realized it was just disappointment and hurt that was what she was truly feeling. She thought Evelyn trusted them more than this, that the team had shown her that no matter what that she was a part of it and they accepted her. Her hazel eyes peered into the mirror and she drew in a deep breath, trying to prepare an apology speech to Evelyn.
"Evie…I," Abby looked at the ground, her lips pursed. "I didn't mean to make things harder on you, or to hurt you in anyway. I was just really angry when I found out, and I went to confront you and when you admitted that you knew all along, it made me ever more mad because I thought you had been toying with us and Gibbs from the beginning. But now I realize that you didn't do it to be mean, or to hurt anyone. But I…"
"Have known Gibbs longer, and owe him quite a great deal," Evelyn finished for her. The goth whirled around shocked, and her expression was almost comical at being caught unaware. "I get it, Abby, I truly do," Evelyn took a step into the room, hands slid into her pants pockets. "And I want you to know how grateful I am that my dad has had someone in his life like you to have his back, no matter what."
Abby looked up at her, with hopeful eyes. "Really?" She asked, slowly. "I'm mean you really do have a right to mad, too, and I would totally not hold it against you if you were still angry. I mean, I know Gibbs needed to know, but I didn't go about it the right way. While I was trying to have Gibbs back, I forgot I should have had yours, too."
"I'm not going to lie and say that everything is completely alright between us, but I hope one day it will be. I just don't want to burn any bridges. I spent too long building them to just go and do that," Evelyn stated, firmly. "And…you're a better friend than you think you are."
"If you say so," Abby didn't look entirely convinced.
"I do," Evelyn said, with certainty. She slid her hands into her pockets, and glanced around the lab seeing all the machines beeping and working. "You look very busy."
"You are telling me," Abby huffed, her eyes fell upon the several stacks of evidence. "It's like the crazy decided to come out the woodworks this week and…oh, Gibbs," Abby squeaked.
All the color drained out of Evelyn's face, but she didn't turn around. She couldn't. It was as if she was rooted to the spot, unable to move or even draw breath. Her heart felt like it had been punched right out of her chest, and the air from the room seemed to mysteriously vanish. Her heart beat was pounding a wild rhythm inside her ears, and she looked straight at Abby who too looked a bit fearful.
"Abby," Gibbs's voice came from behind her. Ever cool, ever calm. "Can you give us a few moments, please?"
The please is what made Abby's eyes widen, and shot a quick, helpless look at Evelyn before nodding. The goth awkwardly walked around Evie, and said, "I'll…I'll just leave you two here to…talk. Bye," she waved, and the lab door shut behind her with an ominous thump.
Evelyn brought a shaky hand to her mouth, and she drew in a large breath before turning around. "Hey," she said, with a wan attempt at a smile and she crossed her arms over her chest. The silence stretched onward for what felt like forever as they stared each other down. Evie felt like she had swallowed broken glass, and it had became a painful knot in the back of her throat. She tucked her hands into her sweater before she awkwardly crossed them over her chest. Her blue eyes stared at him for the briefest of seconds before they flickered down to the ground. "So…um, I saw Fornell," she said, trying to conjure a smile. "He run into your fist or something?"
"Is that what you really came to talk about Evelyn?" He said, leveling a knowing look at her. He crossed his arms over his chest, and he noticed how she was slightly hunched over. It was a defensive posture and his chest tightened, to see that she was so weary around him.
"You know it's not," Evie said, looking at him sadly with those blue eyes. His eyes, she had his eyes, he realized as all the air rushed out of his lungs.
"Why didn't you just tell me?" Gibbs asked, his voice shattered. He stared at her with this look, like he was looking a ghost. So hopeful, but so much pain at the same time. The uncertainty was stark clear in his blue eyes and Evelyn felt like she had been punched in the gut. Her heart was thundering in her ears, and she felt a cool sweat break out across her skin feeling suddenly not sure what to say.
She swung her arms before clasped her hands together in front of her and twisting them. It made Gibbs's heart lurch up into his throat. Kelly always did that when she was in trouble, and was trying to talk her way out. She took a hesitant step further into the basement, her eyes dart around the room and she let out a long breath before looking over at him. "I didn't think it would be that simple," she said, with a sad attempt at a smile. "What was I supposed to do, Gibbs? Walk up to one day, and say 'By the way, boss, I'm your dead daughter?' It just wasn't that simple."
"Yes, it is," he stated, angrily.
Her lips thinned into a mutinous line, like she holding back from saying something that she would come to regret. She likely was. Her fingers were curled tightly, and her fists trembled before abruptly all the fight pooled out of her. Her mouth opened, but there was thick weight in the back of her throat making that very hard to do. "It didn't feel that way," she said, her voice very small. "I don't…I don't know what you me to say, Gibbs. Do you want me to apologize?"
"I don't want apologies, Evelyn," he said, sharply. "I just want answers. How long have you known? Have you known this entire time? Or did you…did you remember afterwards? After you started working here."
Evie winced. "No…no, I knew before I started working here," she admitted, feeling very sick to her stomach. "It's…it's why I joined NCIS."
Gibbs stood there, his eyes filled with emotions that words could never hope to express. "You would always be the one to bring us the files, before you became a field agent," he murmured, remembering it.
She nodded, fighting to hold back a sniffle. "Yeah, I did," she said, her jaw clenched tightly. "You see, I have this habit of constantly trying to prove myself more than I really am. To be more than what I am, to better for the people in my life because if I can't be my best for them, then they don't deserve the worst that comes with it," Evie started rambling, her voice rattling with her nerves. She rocked back and forth on her heels, struggling to hold his gaze. "And I wanted…I wanted to be better for you because I didn't think that you'd want me any other way. I didn't think you would want me if I was broken," she said, finally raising her gaze to meet his. "Because…because no one else did…"
"I spent so long without a past, that I really never thought about the future," she started, her voice quivering ever so slightly. "I had nothing. No family, no memories, no idea where to start. It just…it just was easier to simply exist than make any attempt at living. Audrey then came into my life, and…it became better. However, there was always this…pit. This hole like I was missing something," she said, pointing to her chest. "Something big. Something important. Then…then one day, a day that I thought I was going to die, I am handed back all my memories. I am given a past, and suddenly I wanted a future. I wanted a future with you, with m-mom," she stumbled over the word. "I started to spend my days constantly moving, striving for that future. Worrying about it, planning it, and it…it honestly did not turn out how I imagined it."
"The future never does," Gibbs said, his voice was rough yet his expression was tight giving nothing away. He knew that from personally experience.
"Look, Gibbs, I…it was never my intention to hurt you. Or to bring up bad memories," Evelyn said, her voice cracking as her composure began to falter. "I just…I just…"
"You just what, Evelyn?" Gibbs asked.
Her words faltered, and her eyes finally came up to meet his. Kelly's eyes, his gut twisted and they shined with tears, and hope. Her lips quivered, and she took in a raggedy breath. "I just…I just wanted my father," she choked out. "I just…I just…" Her strength was gone, and the floodgates came crashing open. Tears pooled down her face, and she clenched her eyes tightly to keep them away. "I am…so sorry. I didn't…I didn't…I thought I knew…" She shook her head, no words could express the pain she was feeling. No words would ever be able to express it, and she began to turn away to bolt for the door when arms suddenly found their way around her.
Gibbs hadn't known the words to say to her in the interrogation room. Hell, he hadn't known when dragging her to the morgue what he was going to day. He didn't know any magical words to soothe it all over, he didn't know how to wrap his mind around it. It all seemed so twisted, so complicated, but his mind argued that it was simple. She was his daughter. He was her father. It should just be that simple.
And like that…it all clicked inside his head, and the realization struck him right through the heart. Years of longing, years of hoping and praying for his little girl to somehow be alive welled up inside him and the moment she began to turn away, Gibbs found the right words. Gibbs was across the room in and instant. His arms wrapping around her-like they had so many times when she was a little girl-and he pulled her into a tight hug as if afraid she would disappear.
"Evelyn…Evelyn, listen to me," Gibbs said, softly. The hand cradling her head, trembled. "Are you listening?"
She sucked in several sharp uneven breath, her face pressed tightly into his chest and he felt her nod ever so slightly. He closed his eyes, and rest his chin on the top of her head. His little girl, he had his little girl. "You've got me," he whispered, softly. Her face was pressed tightly into his chest, and his chin was gently resting upon her head. "I'm here. I'm always going to be here."
He finally found the right words.
Rrs are appreciated! Thank you all!
NEXT CHAPTER: When everything finally seems to be calming, someone has different ideas and some people just may end up in the crossfire.
So funny story. Went to a friend's birthday party and there was a little girl running around-a daughter of one my friend's cousins-and guess what her name was? Ziva! I couldn't believe my ears and totally thought I was just hearing things until the cousin was asked where she got the name from and the cousin was like, "NCIS!" I laughed so hard.