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, athena9090, 777musiclover, UKgirl17, Tig442, Thedarkstorm,asdfaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, 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, thedarkrstorm, MeliaAlexander, Tig442, BlackIce33, silkly0670, Ladycat21201, 777musiclover 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, ByLunaA, JrSnape, smilin steph, Jowin28, TwilightLover162, SpecialAgentLeonie, 1956JohnDeere50, bloodshadows, Hope'sFace, Marcie OzNCISLover, Buckeye am I, cwatker22, Burned Spy, LTree16, SuddenlyPyschotic, 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:
Marcie: That is beautiful and so very true. Thank you. :D
RidingAngelxspy: First off I want to thank you for being so understanding. I don't know what I can honestly say other than thank you. Even though you didn't know what to say, your words have helped a lot. And it's okay if you sound like your grieving guidebook, I honest wished I had one right now. Might make things a bit easier. And thank you so much, I'm glad you like my writing so much. Secondly, about your review for Chapter 23, thank you so much glad you liked it so much. Yeah, I couldn't help but to throw it in there about Fornell's broken face. Yeah, I like Audrey, too. I based her off my grandmother honestly. Glad you like the Ari and Evelyn parts. Well, the others aren't against Evie. They more like they've known Gibbs longer, and with this startling truth they do wander what Evelyn's intentions are, good or bad? Thank you again. *lots of hugs*
Someone: I'm glad that everyone has liked the chapter so far. Yep, we are finally getting to see Kate and Tony a little bit. Ellie will have a cameo in the Spooks Edition of this fic. I pretty much have this plotted out to the end. I do like Ziva better, too. The whole Ducky and Gibbs confrontation was something I am proud of if I'm honest. Yeah, the past, present, future tenses are my kryptonite. Yes, I ashamedly used a superman references. :D
I usually answer all reviews, in a timely fashion but with the recent passing of my dog Lulu, I've been a bit unmotivated. It was really hard to get and want to do anything let alone write. I just want to thank you all for being so understanding and wonderful, your support has been amazing and really has helped more than you all know. I really appreciate it, and I really needed it so thank you all.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
"It Could Easily Fall Apart"
She cried. A lot.
She cried her heart out. Heartbreaking sobs shook her body, she felt herself finally fall apart. Years that she held it all, some unknowingly, others knowingly, and she finally was able to let it go. Heart wrenching sobs wracked her body, and she felt her knees buckle, but Gibbs held on tight and kept her up. An ache so deep within her soul, like broken glass that she clutched so tightly began to fade with each passing seconds. Her father was here…he was still here and that made all the difference in the world. She didn't know how long she cried, or when her sobs finally began to subside. All she knew was that Gibbs, her father, held her through it all whispering words of reassurance all the while. "I'm so sorry," she croaked out. "I am so sorry."
"Shhh," Gibbs told her, gently. "Don't apologize. There's nothing to be sorry for. You have nothing to be sorry for."
She sniffed, wiping the tears off her cheeks and just shook her head slightly. "That's not what it feels like," she admitted, after a long moment. Her voice was rough from her sobs, and her were red. "I just wish I knew what to say to make this all okay, you know? I just want everything to be okay again," she said, softly.
"It will be," Gibbs stated, confidently. They would have to take it one day at a time, but they would get there. He felt a lightness in his heart that he had felt in so long, and he blinked back the tears that threatened to overwhelm him. "It may take a little way, but it will be okay again."
Evelyn smiled, shakily. "I…I have so much I want to tell you," she said, letting out a watery laugh. Her fingers shakily tunneled through her hair, and she had never felt so emotionally drained as she did right now. It felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and she could breath again.
"We have a lot to talk about," Gibbs said, his voice slightly strained. He stared at her for a long moment, and he thought about the years he had missed. His precious girl wasn't eight anymore, she was a grown woman. His stomach knotted, and twisted, and he released a long breath. "But not here," he said, running a hand down his face.
"Then…where?" She asked, bemused.
"Home," Gibbs said, simply.
"Home?" Evie gaped, her mind going blank.
"We go home," he nodded.
All the air rushing out of her and her heart felt like it stopped inside of her chest. How long had she been waiting to hear that? How many times in her life had she wished to hear those words? Emotion choked her, and made it very hard for her too talk. For several seconds, she could only stare at him and she blinked back fresh tears. Taking deep breaths, she finally found her voice. "I'd like that," she said, softly with a smile.
Gibbs smiled, a true genuine smile that took the years off of his face and he opened his mouth when the door was shoved open. Gibbs turned, and groaned quietly. "Madame Director," Gibbs greeted.
"Madame Director?" Evelyn blinked. "As in Director of NCIS? What happened to Morrow?" Her brows were scrunched up, and her lips tugged down into a frown.
"He got a better job offer," Jenny stated, simply. "And you are?" The red headed crossed her arms over her chest, and quirked up an eyebrow.
"Special Agent Evelyn Matthews," Evie replied, wrapping her arms around her midsection while shooting a glance at Gibbs.
"Ah, yes," Jenny nodded, a pinched expression coming upon her face. Apparently the Director had been informed of the recent trouble Evelyn had found herself in. "I've heard about you."
"All good things?" Evelyn asked, a bit sarcastic.
Gibbs sent her a quelling look before turning back towards Jenny. "Was there something you wanted, Jen?" Gibbs asked, archly.
"Yes, there is. We have a lot of things to talk about, Jethro," Jenny said, with a humorless smile. She sent him a withering look that promised that it was not going to be a pleasant conversation.
"Jethro?" Evelyn arched a brow, fighting back a laugh. "You've never let your friends call you Jethro. What is so special…" Then Evie took in the red haired beauty and it clicked. "Ah. I get it. You were those kind of friends," she had to smirk when her father looked a bit uncomfortable. "Alright. Got it. Now, I'm just going to…uh, go check on a few things. I'll…I'll see you, right?" She looked at Gibbs, hopeful. "Back at the home?"
"I'll be there," Gibbs promised.
Evelyn's face smoothed out in a smile. "Good…that's good," she nodded, visibly relieved. She glanced over at Jenny before awkwardly leaving the lab.
Gibbs watched the door shut behind her, and his stomach jolted when she was out of his sight. A part of him, he admitted, was afraid she'd disappear. He released a heavy sigh, and turned to look at Jenny who stood there, her gaze flickering from him to the door way. Gibbs could see the cogs turning inside of Jenny's head and he could feel the beginnings of an oncoming headache. "And…that was?" Jenny prompted.
"That was what?" Gibbs asked, eyebrow arched.
"Hmm." Jenny thought she had looked familiar. Jenny had always known Gibbs to take care of his own, but something about this girl felt different. The look in Gibbs eye, the way his face had softened when she smiled at him made the ugly green monster that Jenny had swore to herself a million times over was dead, come swirling back to life. "What happened to Rule 12? Never get involved with a co-worker?" Jenny looked up at him. Her expression said she was teasing, but there was something in her eyes that was more akin to jealously.
Gibbs shook his head, with a half smirk. Trust Jen to take things out of context. In honestly, it wasn't her fault. They had never truly got closure on what they had together, and if Gibbs was honest with himself, he could still feel those old feelings simmering beneath the surface. But it was best to put the notion out of Jenny's head before she decided to make thing hard for Evelyn, something which Gibbs would never tolerate. "She isn't my girlfriend, Jenny," Gibbs said, giving her a light glare. "She is my daughter."
The Director gasped, her mouth falling open in shock. Her eyes flicker through so many things as she looked at Gibbs, in disbelief. She opened and closed her mouth several times before clearing her throat. "You never told me you have a daughter," Jenny said, visible hurt.
"There are a lot of things I haven't told you, Jen," Gibbs said, with an eyebrow arched and walked out of the room leaving Jenny there speechless.
The industrial sight sat on the outskirts of DC, and a ways from the road. Out of sight, and a perfect place for certain things that needed to take place away from prying eyes. Ziva stood there in the blazing sun, her arms crossed over her chest as she languidly leaned against her car while she patiently waited. In truth her patience was little more than a façade to cover the nervous that churned in the pit of her stomach. The noise of an engine made her posture go rigid and she watched as the black unmarked sedan came driving up the dirt road. It stopped about ten feet away, and the doors opened. She watched her father's guards get out first and scan the area carefully before they allowed the man himself out of the car.
He stood, dressed as immaculate as ever and he strode towards with her a sense of purpose. He halted a foot away from her, and smiled. "Shalom, Ziva," he greeted, his voice quiet, but self assured. Eli David was a man that exuded confidence even when silent, and no one would ever be able to mistaken him for anything less than important.
"Shalom." She nodded at her father politely. "May I ask why you wanted to meet in such a…dubious place?" Ziva was not entirely surprised by her father's dramatics, but it did set her a bit more on edge. The constant worry that Ari would be found or her aiding him would be discovered lingered over her head like a dark cloud.
"It is best to be away from prying eyes," Eli reasoned.
Ziva inclined her head. She had thought as much though she had never been on the end of such a meeting with her father like this, he usually saved them for threatening enemies or dumping bodies. "What is the situation? Have you discovered where Ari is?" She asked, keeping her expression carefully blank to give nothing away.
"I've known where Ari has been for a long time, Ziva. I know that Evelyn Matthews is hiding him," Eli cut of his daughter with a sharp wave of his hand. "I have known for quite some time. The FBI is not the only one who have ears everywhere."
Ziva pressed her lips into a fine line as her heart jolted in her chest. Her mind quickly assessed the situation, and knew as soon as this meeting was over, she would need to inform Ari and Evelyn of this revelation. "Then you want her eliminated?" She asked, carefully.
"I have no need of eliminating Evelyn Matthews. Others will see to that," Eli stated, with a sardonic smile upon his face. "What you need to concern yourself with is your role in all of this, Ziva."
A cold apprehension flutter down her spine. "What do you mean?" She asked, her body tensed as her dark eyes flickered to the guards that flanked her father's sides.
"You are my daughter, Ziva, and when you make questionable decision, I do my best to look the other way for as long as I can, but I can do so no longer," Eli stated, he actually looked a bit regretful over that. "You have to make a choice. Where do your loyalties truly lie Ziva? With Mossad and I…or with Ari?"
It was a strange feeling that hit her.
Here she was sitting at her father's kitchen table, at a home that used to be hers with Gibbs. It was bit surreal if she was honest with herself, and she had to keep reminding herself that this was actually happening. They had drove separately, which was a good thing. Evelyn needed that time to organize her chaotic thoughts especially after her breakdown and she had a feeling Gibbs needed it, too. She drummed her fingers against the table top, with her brows pinched ever so slightly as Gibbs moved about his kitchen and made coffee. She thought of several things to say, of several ways to start, but none of them felt right. And it wasn't her who needed answers anymore. It was Gibbs.
He needed to be the one to start the conversation. Her gaze flickered upward to see him take a seat across her, and he put a mug of coffee and plate of Oreos in front of her. A tiny smile played on her lips and a she chuckled slightly. "You still buy Oreos?" She asked, after a moment of staring down at the plate.
"Habit," Gibbs shrugged. He had grown so used to picking them up for her when she was a child, and after the…accident, he just found himself picking them up and throwing them into his cart. He would remind himself he didn't need them, that Kelly wasn't at home anymore, but he couldn't seem to stop himself even years later.
"You remember everything, don't you?" Evelyn smiled at him, after she picked up one of the Oreos off the plate. She dunked it into the black coffee watching the ripples hit the cup's walls.
"Just the important things," Gibbs said, with a slight smile. He sipped on his coffee, more than a little thankful for the jolt of caffeine to burn away the exhaustion that had begun to seep into his bones.
"Hmm," Evelyn bit into the cookie, savoring the sweetness of the cookie with the sharp taste of the coffee. She swallowed lightly, before she glanced back up at her father. "So…" she began carefully. "Do you still sail? I know that you still build boats, but do you…do you still go on the water?"
"Not as much as I used too," Gibbs admitted.
"Do you remember that time that mom accidentally fell overboard because she got so excited to see dolphins?" Evie suddenly laughed, her eyes glittering with amusement.
"I don't think I ever heard your mother scream so loud," Gibbs laughed, remembering Shannon's scream for him to pull out of the water or how embarrassed she had been. Kelly had been rolling with loud laughter, and unable to stop for the rest of that day. They chuckled, lost in memory for a good minute or two before Evelyn set her cup of coffee down on the table with a pensive look on her face.
"What do we do now?" She asked, quietly.
"Hmm." Gibbs tilted his head in consideration. "What do you want from this, Evelyn? How do you want this to turn out?" He turned the question on her, letting her be the one to decide. She is the one that got this whole ball rolling, the one that came back into his life. It had to be
"I…" Her lips thinned out in determination. "I want to be a part of your life. Any way I can, whether that means as your daughter, or your agent, or both," she stated, uncertainty creeping into her voice. "If…if that's what you want, too."
"You know the answer to that," Gibbs told her, slightly exasperated. He ran a hand through his silver hair, and looked at her with a gauging look. "I dreamt of waking up to your mother, and you for so long. Waking up and seeing you happy and alive and whole. If things had turned out differently, we wouldn't be here right now."
"Gibbs…" Her voice was low and soft.
"And you wouldn't be calling me that," Gibbs stated, his voice rough. He could see it by staring at her. See what she would have been like if Shannon hadn't died, if that all hadn't happened. She would be just as stubborn, just as smart, but the pain and doubt on her face wouldn't be there. Her eyes would be softer, and carefree. Not filled with shadows as they were now. "You wouldn't hesitate to call me dad, or be so uncomfortable sitting here in this house…the house that should have been you home. God, Evelyn, I look at you and all I can see is all the years that I've lost, how the hell can you think that I am willing to lose anymore?" He leaned forward, his blue eyes filled with an infinite sadness.
Her finger curled against her lips as emotions welled up in her throat. She blinked hard to keep the tears at bay, and helped back a sigh. Nervously, she reached up and tunneled her finger through her hair. "I know that. I understand it because I know exactly how you feel," Evelyn said, her voice light and almost a whisper. She brushed away the tears before they fell. "I…I just never imagined anything past finding you and telling you the truth. I never thought…" her voice trailed off, and this time she couldn't stop the sigh. "I just don't know where we go from here."
Gibbs was silent for a moment, before downed the last bit of his coffee hoping the caffeine would give him mind the boost he needed to get some kind of clarity. "One step at a time. We will take it one step at a time, and go from there," Gibbs stated, his hand settling over his mouth as he considered Evelyn, carefully. He could see the nerves that she tried so hard to hide, they were written in way she fidgeted in the chair and the way she kept glancing down at the table instead of at him. "A smart man told me not to pass up a miracle, I'm not going anywhere. Are you?" He asked, eyebrow arched.
"No!" Evie pulled back like he had just hit her. "No," she repeated this time in a more subdued tone. "I'm not going anywhere."
Gibbs felt himself relax a bit, her words dispelling an unsaid fear that lingered in his heart. He set his empty coffee cup down onto the table, and propped his elbows on the table. He intertwined his fingers, and looked over at them at her. "Do you feel up like talking about it?" He asked her, quietly.
Her gaze flickered up to his, questioningly.
"About all that happened after the accident," Gibbs clarified, with a slight nod of his head. He needed to know about her life. All that happened to her after Shannon died, all that she went through. He knew some, but he did not it all. Whether it would just make things worse or better, he didn't know, but it didn't stop his need to know. However, he wouldn't push her. He could see a frail look in her eyes that said she was one step from breaking down.
"I…" Evelyn froze in her seat, before give a tiny nod. Her fingers were splayed tensely against the table top, and she drew in a deep breath. "I can."
"Evelyn," Gibbs began.
She shook her head, cutting him off. "Maybe we need to talk about it. We should talk about it," Evelyn said, giving him a sad smile. "After the accident…I was put in the hospital. I was…comatose for lack of a better word. I was awake, but I wasn't…there."
"For how long?" Gibbs asked, quietly. So far she was telling him things he already knew, but how much of the truth had she omitted? How much had she hidden?
"Two years." She pinched the bridge of her brow, her blue eyes darkened with the memories. "Then…one day I just woke up. I was suddenly there, aware of everything around me. I didn't know anyone, or remember anything, but I was aware so it was something. The doctors worked with me for a while, but with no name, no insurance or way to pay eventually I had to put elsewhere. As soon as I was declared healthy enough I was put into foster care." She caught Gibbs sharp draw of breath, and wished to stop. She knew part of him would blame himself. "It wasn't all that bad."
"The Wells Family."
Evelyn flinched at the reminder and swallowed thickly. "They were the worst, and none of the other family's came close to them in comparison," Evie assured him, quietly. "I…I got really lucky when Audrey came into my life."
Gibbs gave a sigh, rubbing his finger along his chin. "I'm glad that she found you," he said, quietly.
"I am, too," she said, with a half smile. "If it weren't for her…I don't think I would ever made it this far." Those were hard words for Gibbs to hear, because it should have been him instead Audrey, but couldn't begrudge the relationship that Evelyn had with the older woman. He had a feeling it was one of the pivotal reasons that Evelyn reunited with him. "When I remember," she started again, her voice thick with all that weighed heavily in her heart, "you and mom and everything, it was…so hard. I mean, I remembered you. I knew who you were. I knew who I was and I wanted nothing more to show and to tell you who I was and…"
"Why didn't you?" Gibbs looked at her with sorrowful gaze.
"I…I second guessed myself. I let myself get lost in doubts, and I didn't know what to do," Evie said, shakily. "If I could go back and change it I would. I would." Fear had consumed her, and she retreated, too afraid of rejection that she was so assured would come. She thought she had spared them both, but in reality she had only spared herself heartbreak. "But none of that matters now. We still managed to get here, didn't we?"
It did ease the sense of guilt that weighed down upon Gibbs. Even though he knew that what happened was beyond his controller, the parent part of him felt that he could have done something to have prevent it all. Shannon's death, Kelly's death-no, disappearance was better term for it. The only solace Gibbs got was that he got his revenge on the bastard who set all this in motion, though he wished that he could made his suffering last longer.
Evelyn jerked in her seat when her phone buzzed in her pocket. "Sorry," she mumbled, absent mindedly as she fished her phone out of her pocket and she flipped it open. She just got a text message from a number she did not recognize. She opened the message, and her eyebrows shot upward.
If convenient, come home.
A.H.
"Don't apologize," Gibbs told her, lightly.
"Sign of weakness. Right, I forgot," she nodded, half-heartedly. The message was from Ari of that she had little doubt, but what did make her wonder is why he was messaging. Several things ran through her mind, but the message did not sound dire so she sat the phone in her lap. She would answer him later, after she got done speaking to Gibbs.
"Important?" Gibbs arched a brow.
"Boyfriend," the lie slipped out of her mouth before she could help it. Gibbs's other eyebrow shot up, and Evelyn paused, her words sinking into her brain. Her eyes widened as a gush of air escaped her mouth and sweat broke out across her skin. "Uh, wait," she gave a high pitched, nervous laugh and held up her hands. "What I mean by…boyfriend is…uh, well…"
"You have a boyfriend?" Gibbs asked, trying to mask his immediate dislike of the nameless man.
"Yeah?" It sounded more like a question than an answer. "I mean yes. It's not serious. Well, it was serious, but it's not working out so it won't be that serious after the whole, you know, breaking up thing happens so…" She trailed off awkwardly, a flush turning her cheeks red. She looked everywhere, but at her father who looked a bit amused by the whole thing. She tried to look calm and collected because her words were not entirely a lie. Ari would leave, and well, that would mean what was between them would be done and over with so it could be interpreted as a 'break up' not that she ever thought of Ari as her boyfriend. Ari wasn't her anything. She cleared her throat, and nervously ran her hand over the collar of her shirt. "Yeah, so that's it," she said, with an embarrassed smile. Gibbs snorted in amusement. Her phone buzzed and she glanced down at the phone in her lap once again.
Come home now.
A.H.
Now that made her frown. She twisted the phone nervously in her palm and Gibbs peered at her closely. "What's wrong?" He asked, frowning deeply.
"I'm not sure," she frowned.
Gibbs opened his mouth, when his cellphone rang. He glanced down at where it rested on the table, and saw Fornell's number flash across the screen.
"Important?" She parroted his words back at him.
"Fornell," he replied.
Evelyn hesitated, then sighed. "Then it must about the case which means you shouldn't talk with me around," she said, softly.
"You are innocent," Gibbs stated, sharply. "You know. We know this. Everyone knows it. All we have to do is to get the evidence to finish proving it."
"Okay." She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, watching the phone fall silent for a brief moment. "Well, you should probably get that and I…should probably go take of this," she said, shaking her phone to emphasize what she meant.
"Probably," Gibbs inclined his head. He felt his chest tighten as Evelyn rose from her seat. She looked at him with hesitation as if she didn't know what do next, and his gut twisted violently. He knew he couldn't tell her not to go, even though every fiber of his being urged him to do so. He stood up to and picked up his cellphone that had begun to ring once more. Fornell's number flashing instantly on his caller id.
He cursed Fornell's timing underneath his breath while Evelyn came to a stop in front of him. "Gibbs," she said, softly and looked up at him. "Is it alright…if you aren't busy, if I come back down tomorrow? You know to talk some more?"
"You can always come to me, Evelyn. Busy or not, I will always have time for you," Gibbs promised, and he watched Evelyn's face light up. She looked so much like him and Shannon, he wished he had seen it sooner.
"Thank you…dad," she said, then after a moment of hesitation she wrapped her arms around him in a hug. Gibbs was still, then he wrapped his arms tight around her. Evelyn felt something click inside as she stood wrapped in father's embrace. She felt safe and warm. Gibbs made her feel safe. After a minute, she pulled back and she gave him a smile. "You be careful, okay?" She asked, her eyes searching.
It was the same question that she asked him when he got called for duty, one of the last things he ever said to her before it all happened. He gave her a fond smile, a show of emotions that he rarely let out. "Always," he promised, lightly. "Now go home, Evie. Get some rest. You aren't going to get any when you get back to work."
Was it wrong to feel pleased to know that he wasn't going to treat her any differently since she was his daughter? Evelyn didn't think so. She gave him once last smile before she reluctantly let him go. It was hard to walk out that door when there was still so much to be said, but there were things they both needed to get done. And Ari's messages left her more than a little on edge. The door shut quietly behind her, and the only traces that she actually had been there were the unfinished cookies on a plate and empty coffee cup. Gibbs ran a long hand down his face with a suffering sigh and then glowered at his cellphone that once again started ringing. Grinding his teeth, Gibbs flipped the phone open and he pressed it to his ear. "This better be good, Fornell," Gibbs told him sharply.
"Where the hell have you been?" Fornell demanded.
"What do you want Fornell?" Gibbs rolled his eyes after tearing them away from the shut door. He had little patience with the man since he had kept the truth of Evelyn from him, and that rift would not be mended any time soon.
"We know who hired our hitman," Fornell told him, blandly.
"Who?" Gibbs tensed.
"Alejandro Rivera."
"Who is he?"
"I don't think that's the information you are going to find interesting," Fornell stated, his voice pitched low and grim.
"Then what information am I going to find interesting, Fornell?" Gibbs pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily.
"His father is Pedro Hernandez," Fornell stated.
Gibbs felt his whole world freeze, his mind going a million miles a minute before a cold rage twisted through him. His blue gaze flickered to the door that Evelyn just walked out of. "Do you have shadows on my daughter?" He asked, darkly.
"Four," Fornell replied.
Gibbs drew in a deep, breath to steady his heart that pounding against his ribs painfully. "Are you heading to NCIS?" He asked, as he burst into movement. He grabbed his jacket, and keys and marked towards the door with renewed purpose.
"Already here," Fornell assured him.
Gibbs shut the phone with a snap, and slammed his front door behind him. There was no way in hell that he was going to lose Evelyn again. None.
END OF CHAPTER!
NEXT CHAPTER: The danger is ever growing as the web of lies further unravel, and the decision that Evelyn may end up deciding who is left standing after the smoke settles.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING SO PATIENT WITH ME! I APPRECIATE IT!
Rrs are appreciated. :D