Freeze Frame 5:

How is the death of a French Naval officer on American soil connected to Eli David, and how will Ziva deal with the shocking news her father finally reveals? Will this be goodbye?

Warnings: CP of a minor towards the end of this chapter. Gibbs-style short, sharp and to the point, but, if you don't like, skip it; Marley would rather, too.

Previously...

A young French Navel officer has died at the Convention Centre at the navel yard. Gibbs meets up with an old friend Geraldine Stanhope. Marley had stowed away to the crime scene.

Chapter 3: Capitaine Adrienne DeGuille.

FREEZE FRAME : Cut to extreme close-up of a hand holding a magnifying glass over a grainy photograph. The image is fractured except for the enlarged portion of a face. Convert Black and White. CUT.

Fade into Ducky's lab. Palmer is weighing the cadaver's liver on a scale ,while Ducky is leaning over the body's chest. Her upper body has been flayed open from her neck to the bottom of her rib cage. Capitaine DeGuille's lower body is covered with a thin sheet.

Gibbs strolled quickly into the lab as Palmer went about recording measurements.

"Okay, Duck, got cause of death?" he asked.

Ducky stood upright and looked at the young woman, concern and sadness was written on his gentle features. "Murder, Gibbs."

"So, she didn't die if an allergic reaction, then?"

"She did indeed," announced Ducky. He walked over to the large screen that projected the images from the slides of his microscope. "Adrienne's low levels of lgG antibodies did not protect her from reacting to the bee venom, phospholipase,. However, the venom it was given a little help. Well, a lot of help if my suspicions are correct. Abby will be able to confirm the facts within the hour. "

"How was it helped?. The bee planted there?"

"Precisely, as a start anyway, Gibbs. The dead worker bee, minus one sting, that we took from the scene and the live bee were most likely planted. We can't tell much about the dead one...Though, I have removed the stinger from the Capitaine's neck. The Apis mellifera carnica honey bees are a very interesting insect. They use their antenna asymmetrically for social interactions with a strong lateral preference to use their right antenna. You know, there are depictions of humans collecting honey from wild bees as far back as 4000 B.C. Efforts to domesticate them are shown in Egyptian art. Simple hives and smoke were used. The honey was stored in jars, some of which were found in the tombs of pharaohs such as Tutankhamun. They are doing some amazing research with the humble bumble bee, in the search for a cure to cancer, no less. It seems the over active development of the antihistamine was a natural evolutionary development for the human immune system and fight against natural carcinogenic threats..."

"Duck, more about these specific bees, " interrupted Gibbs.

"Yes. The live bee was one very tired bee. It was far too subdued, considering it's sudden discovery. I suspect that a chemical was added to the smoker that actually heavily sedated the bee. Whoever planted those bees was an apiarist. They knew how to handle the creatures ."

"They must have also known that Adrienne was allergic to them."

"Yes, though her allergy was considered moderate. The Epi-Pen was always just a pre-caution. However, today she had a severe attack. Severe allergies can develop randomly, thus Adrienne's wise pre-caution. The anaphylactic reaction caused the swelling of her oesophagus. The injection of epinephrine should have worked, and from witness accounts it was administered correctly to Adrienne's thigh. However, there is no puncture mark . All the girls have first aide training, so I doubt they withdrew the pen before it was supposed to inject. Abby's testing the injection casing now. Point is, Jethro, Adrienne didn't get any of the epinephrine. There is none of it her system. By the time the medics arrived she had worsened and was in cardiac arrest."

Gibbs followed Ducky to his desk, where the M.E picked up her medical file. "Her last recorded change of medication was over a week ago. Unless the Ep-Ppen is used, it needs to be replaced within the year. Adrienne's medical history shows no record of a allergic reaction in two years. Abby's running a full set of toxicology tests. Hopefully we will be able to tell what exactly was in her system."

Ducky then moved to the autopsy table. Again Gibbs followed, peering over Ducky's shoulder as he continued. "The bee sting itself is interesting. I've taken samples of the wound site area, but suspect we are going to find more than just the poison from the bee's venom. The discoloration around the skin should have been white, but there is a green tinge to the area." he said, indicating the area around Adrienne's neck. He stood and turned to the large screen and bought up an enlarged view of the area. "See here, Gibbs."

The image depicted a large round white circle surrounded by the gradient tones of red to pink flesh. At the center of the white area was a hole, the one left by the bee's tail. The edge of the hole was crusted with luminous specs of green dead skin.

"This could have been part of the chemical used to subdue the bees, like the type of gas honey makers use to handle the bees., Or, it could have been part of the sap the bee had collected from the flowers. Abby's testing the stamin from the flowers the bees were found in, but it could have come from anywhere the bees had been held before they were deposited in the flowers."

Gibbs stood silent for a moment, looking at the images and then back at the body of Adrienne. "Somebody went to a lot of trouble to make sure she died this way, Duck. Why do you suppose that is?"

"They wanted her to suffer, to know that she was going to die. They preyed on her fear."

"Where she couldn't use any of her own physical training and intelligence to have a fighting chance," stated Gibbs.

"Exactly. Once that Epi-Pen didn't work, she would have been very much aware of her impending doom," said Ducky, saddened by the thought. Abby will able to tell us more. But, if the pen was tampered with as well as the bees, it was a deliberate and well planned act of murder: a cruel assination.

"Sounds more like a revenge killing."

"It does indeed, Jethro."

" So, someone sure got a bee in their bonnet about something," quipped Palmer.

Both Gibbs and Ducky gave Jimmy an unsavory glare...

Cut away to Abby's lab. Marley and Abby are busy at the computers.

"Abbs?"

"Gibbs Gibbs Gibbs!" Abby jumped as he entered the room. "The poor little bees, Gibbs, they were drugged.

"What with?"

"Nasty stuff," said Marley.

"That a scientific term you learned from Abby?" asked Gibbs smiling at Marley.

"I'm not sure what the other little bee went through, but look at this one, Gibbs; It's sad." pouted Abby, holding up the specimen jar.

"It looks like it has a hangover, Abbs," said Gibbs.

"That a scientific term you learned from Tony?" asked Marley.

"No, Mike Franks," chuckled Gibbs. "Abbs, so the bees were drugged. Why?"

"Probably to keep them sedated until they were delivered to the auditorium. They were exposed to a type of relaxant, traces of hydro…"

"Yeah, but when it wears off they go ape shit," said Marley.

"Marley, language!" frowned Gibbs.

"Just using simpler terms, Gibbs. That used to happen to mom. If she didn't take her medicine at the exact same time every day, she'd get really scared and do strange stuff."

"I know, this poor little thing was throwing itself against the jar walls. It's settling down now," said Abby. "I 'm ready to put it in a larger tank with more bees."

"It doesn't need a padded cell?" asked Gibbs.

"Mom didn't, just a warm bath and some Camille tea. I'd make it for her," added Marley.

"Okay, I retract that," said Gibbs, realizing that the comment was a little insensitive and too close to home. "Marley, I was making a joke about the padded cell."

"I got that. I can't be too sensitive about that, Gibbs, well not around here anyway. Tony puts his big foot in his mouth all the time," laughed Marley.

"Humor, Gibbs? You having a good day?" smiled Abby.

"Yup, now give me what you have."

"Well, the bee was definitely drugged. Its reaction when it woke up would have been very volatile and aggressive. Bees aren't usually like that. They're more defensive, you know. The honey bees use their antenna asymmetrically for social interactions with a strong lateral preference to use their right antenna. They warn each other, too. Did you know...

"Yes, go on," snapped Gibbs.

"Hmm, the good humor didn't last long," quipped Abby.

"Abbs!"

"Oh, right. The other thing is that both these bees and the stingers were tainted with arsenic. The bees' stingers didn't digest it, but the minute trace added to the venom of the bee sting entering Capitaine De Guille's system would have caused an immediate reaction. Respiratory failure would have come a lot quicker. Little Dobee's stinger is now arsenic free."

"The arsenic, how it get there?" asked Gibbs.

"It wasn't on the flowers. the stamins and petals were clear. Somebody actually dipped their stingers in it."

"While they were sleepy, just like when we cleaned Dobee's," added Marley.

"Somebody planned this well, Gibbs, and they know bees," said Abby.

"Yep, Duck said the same. What about the adrenalin pen?"

"There is no adrenalin in this," said Abby holding up the injectable."The Epi-Pen's needle didn't drop because there was no pressure there, no pressure and no fluid. I found a tiny hole in the casing."

"Finger prints?"

"Nope, though the puncture mark is an unusual shape… a hexagon. The only tool I've been able to find that matches that is a silversmith's tool, used to punch metal. Gibbs, the killer knows bees and makes jewellery. It shouldn't be too hard to find suspects with that combination of skills. That is, of course, if they work in those businesses. I mean, they could be both hobbies, which is really not unusual. After all, look at me, I have lots of weird hobbies like bowling with nuns and BDS…"

"Abbs!"

"Oh and you, Gibbs, you make boats with loving care and patience…"

"But you're a bad ass, catching worse bad ass guys on most days," added Marley.

Gibbs bent down and swatted Marley's backside hard, but only once. "Language!"

"Ow! Just trying to help here, Gibbs. Think of it as my hobby."

"Like turning up at a crime scene? A hobby we are still going to have a long discussion about before bed tonight," promised Gibbs.

"I've got to get another hobby, harrumph!" scoffed Marley.

Cutaway to Bull Pen. Tony is the only one there sitting at his desk.

Gibbs went to MTAC after leaving Abby's lab. The room was secured while he read over some of the classified portions of Adrienne's file. The details were impressive. The young capitaine had been on several major covert operations over the years, including 'Nero in 2005 where she worked undercover as an Hamas agent, thwarting their plans to board and hi- jack French naval vessels carrying nuclear weapons. There were seven other recorded operative cases, the details of which were going to keep him well occupied into the night. But for now, he was more interested in what his team had formulated. Given the nature of many of Adrienne's deployments and covert operations, he hoped that her fatality was unrelated. At the moment, his gut told him it was. Ducky's profile on the possible motive of revenge added to that. That motive and the cause of death was not the usual terrorist hit or their M.O. If it was related to the cases of Adrienne's undercover work, they would have an even bigger task on their hands, one that too many other Security agencies would want Intel on. And that would always cause a problem. It only took one mole within a connected organization to blow the case and an operation apart.

"What's the news, people?" called Gibbs as he rounded the bull pen.

"What's new, person, don't you mean, Boss? I'm the only one here," answered Tony.

"Where are McGee and Ziva?"

"They aren't back from the base with Captain DeGuille's personal belongings."

"What's taking them so long. That was over two hours ago?"

"Dunno, Boss."

Gibbs grumbled, rounded his desk, and sat the large file he had been reading on it. "Well, what have you got, Di Nozzo?"

"Can't I wait, Boss, until the others return? I'm sure to have more than them. They wouldn't have time to scan stuff yet, and my visuals are ready," bragged Tony.

"It's not a competition, Di Nozzo!"

Tony huffed and got up from his seat, mumbling, "at least you can't head slap me from there." He grabbed the control for the LCD and stood in front of the large screen. "You could have waited a nano second longer. I know it's not a completion. I'm not looking for an Oscar or anything, though my research and visual presentation is very good. I just want some positive feedback." He flicked the switch and the pretty face of Adrienne DeGuille appeared. She was dressed in her military best.

By now Gibbs was standing close to him and offered his conventional feedback. He slapped him up the back of the head. "Good work, now the biography, Di Nozzo!"

"It's up already, Boss," scowled Tony, like a petulant teen with attitude.

Gibbs gave him a warning glare, one eyebrow raised and a hard neutral expression, before turning back to the screen.

" Adrienne Marie DeGuille, born December 1970 in Toulouse France. Father: Jean Paul DeGuille, a French national, deceased. Mother: Gabrielle Foutenard, also deceased. She met Adrienne's father in 1963. . Both her parents were killed in a car accident two years ago while on holiday in Belgium. There are no siblings. Adrienne graduated from Edinburgh Medical College in 1995. She majored in genetics." DiNozzo bought up an image of a graduation class, a very happy looking group of about fifty young adults dressed in their academic gowns. Tony had circled Adrienne's face. "She looked happy, pretty girl."

"Ducky's a graduate from Edinburgh," said Gibbs.

"I know, so was..." paused Tony and looked at Gibbs. "I checked, Boss, co-incidence is all. Adrienne graduated 1995; the year after Ari."

"What else have you got on her background?"

"Military career is a little sketchy. Well not sketchy, just lots of missing pieces in her time line. Probably classified, actually classified classified, because there is nothing in between very ordinary deployments. Looks the French are keeping that close to their chest."

"What have we got about the delegates and her job now?"

Tony bought up several images, advertisements and flyers promoting the tour of the group of women. "Basically a PR assignment involving different women military personal from our allied forces. Basically a drive to bring awareness of women in the forces, career opportunities all to drive up enlistments. It's worked so far. There's been an increase in applications for specialised MCO's that have been traditionally male dominated," said Tony.

"About time, too." Gill suddenly appeared in the bull pen and stood beside Gibbs. "I'm guessing you're not quite finished for the day.; New Case?" she asked.

"Nope and Yep," he smiled.

"Oh! Can you take a break, later for dinner? I can keep Marley for the night at Cameron House."

"No, I promised Marley it still would be our night. I'll make it for dinner. Then I have a few files to go over for the case that I'll take home. Marley and I also have an issue to discuss."

"Oh? Serious?"

"Nope, a rule breaker though. She snuck into a crime scene."

"Ewww! I wonder if she is developing a morbid fascination for..."

"Put your head shrinking cap away, she's just being a kid," quipped Gibbs with a smirk.

"Hey!" scowled Gillian.

Gibbs chuckled.

Gill rolled her eyes at Gibbs, realizing he had baited her. "Oh, you love to get a rise out of me."

Tony suddenly started chuckling, then stopped just as quickly when Gibbs slapped him up the back of the head.

"Second time today, Boss."

"I can make it a third, DiNozzo, or I could go for giving you a good kick in the pants."

"At least it might reduce the brain damage you could be causing."

"I doubt it," quipped Gibbs.

"I hope you're right, Gibbs. I mean about Marley, Tony, not your brain damage. Marley didn't see anything nasty did she?" asked Gill.

"No. Her little green monster raised its head."

"Oh, jealous again? So there's a child involved with the case, maybe I should..."

"No kid. Just an old friend of mine, Geraldine Stanhope."

"General Stanhope," expanded Tony.

"Ahh!" laughed Gill, "Jealousy by proxy. She's not going to give up on that, Gibbs, on us, you know.

"Give up on what?" asked Tony.

"None of your business, DiNozzo. She'll get over it soon enough. We just need to be there, keep her busy, outta trouble ,even if it is boring. It's quantity, as much as quality. So we'll keep our plans for tonight. She can watch a movie while I go over the files.

"Perfect, simplified head shrinking stuff," said Gill. "I'll meet you at Cameron House when you're finished here. Now where is Marley?"

"Down with Abbs, helping."

"Seems like the whole family's here helping," said Tony.

"Yup," said Gibbs. "Though the rest of my brood," he said glaring at Tony, "could be checking out some more leads," he accentuated. "Like checking the background on all the delegates, DiNozzo."

"On it, Boss."

Gibbs turned to Gill. "So, how's your work going?"

"Good, Cameron House is a sound model of relief care for families in crisis. We are working on a similar model for military families. NCIS is helping with some of the data of trauma victims from their cases. That way we can design suitable programs."

"Well, General Stanhope may be able to help there, too," suggested Tony.

Gibbs glared at Tony, sending the silent message for him to get on with the task he had just been given. He then escorted Gill towards the elevators. "Gerry might have some good ideas. She's raised two boys on her own for ten years and has managed a successful military career."

"Gerry?" enquired Gill.

Gibbs just cocked his head and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I'll go get Marley, then I'll see you around six thirty."

Gibbs nodded. "1830," he said, before pressing the button to the lift for Gill. He then leaned down and kissed Gill softly on the lips.

The elevator doors opened, and Ziva and Tim stood there staring at the couple. Neither one uttered a sound or offered anything but a neutral expression.

Gibbs and Gill separated from their gentle touch and moved to enter the lift. "You're gonna have to get out before we can get in," he said. "Move, McGee!"

Both Ziva and Timothy quickly exited the elevator and scurried over to their workstations, only daring to turn when they could hear the elevator doors swish closed.

Realizing Gibbs had gone in with Gill, they watched the numbers light up. The elevator descended two floors before it stopped. Tony got out his smart phone and hit a stop watch app, then waited. This time the ascending numbers illuminated, Gibbs was on his way back up. He hit phone app again and smirked. Tony turned the cell around and displayed the numbers to his teammates. "Not a new record, but pretty damn close," he quipped.

All three quickly got to looking busy as soon as the doors opened again and Gibbs exited. Gill smiled as she leaned over and started her journey over again down to Abby's lab. By the time Gibbs rounded the partitions all three agents were again standing in front of the large screen, while Tony went back over the slides and information he had.

"The other delegates, Boss, their military files are all there. They've all had busy and successful careers. None have had any connection to each other until this PR tour. Though there could be something going on with the Irish girl."

"Bridget," interjected Tim. "She was engaged to an American marine in 2005. He was killed in an operative in 2006. There are no details on the operative itself, other than the casualties. His team went in as back-up on a covert operation involving Hamas."

"Hmm, very interesting," exaggerated Tony. "The missing gaps in Adrienne's military time line could include that operative. If it went wrong in any way, Bridget may blame Adrienne for that."

"How would Bridget know if Adrienne was involved or not, the files are highly classified," said Tim.

"Find out," ordered Gibbs.

"It's a good lead," said Ziva. "The other girls insinuated that Bridget was not all that happy about the lieutenant Adrienne was seeing. They met in D.C at the beginning of the tour. But the girls said that it was Bridget who was interested in him at first. This lieutenant, however, was more attracted to Adrienne. Bridget is looking like a possible suspect, Gibbs."

"We have anything on him," asked Gibbs.

"No, they just call him George, because he looks like a famous movie star, George somebody," answered Ziva.

"Burns?" asked Gibbs.

Tony chuckled,, "George Burns. You know you're getting old when you stoop down to do up your shoelaces and you wonder what else you can do while your down there..." quoted Tony in his best George Burns impersonation, which was only slightly better than his Sean Connery. " You're kidding, right, Boss. Just how old are you?"

"A year older than George Clooney," said Gibbs.

"Clooney, that's it," said Ziva, snapping her fingers and pointing in Gibbs' direction.

"Well, at least we have a description. Tony get onto to that," ordered Gibbs.

Tim grabbed the controls from Tony, ready to go through the images of Adrienne's personal kit.

"Hey, McHold-the-Bus," scoffed Tony snatching back the controls. "I'm not finished. Phone records, Boss," announced Tony.

"I usually do that," said Tim.

"Ohhh, I usual do thaaat," mimicked Tony.

"GO!" yelled Gibbs.

Tony jumped and flicked the screen scrolling down the numbers. "Not many for six months, while she was here. Most of the numbers match up with either the base they were all billeted at or the other delegates and General Stanhope. There is one that doesn't match those that appears at the same exact time the presentations were done. Could be our Romeo. I've got a trace going on that now."

"What about those numbers, Tony," asked Ziva, then she looked at Tim."They have only three digits," she said. "They could be..."

"Satellite cells, the digits are hidden. They're encrypted before going through the tower portals."

"Can you find out where they've come from?" asked Gibbs.

"I can try," said Tim, "but they are hard to crack. I can most likely get times, but not from where. Tony's theory about Adrienne being involved in more classified operations could be correct."

"Yeah. Keep this search amongst ourselves for the time being," instructed Gibbs.

Ziva nodded. "If Adrienne was here on another mission she wouldn't have used her phone to make contact. That would be a major breach of security, Gibbs. Somebody has tried to make contact with her."

"You get to work on that lead, Ziva. Tim, anything from her personal kit that could connect to either of these leads we have so far?"

"Yep, Abby has the box downstairs and is cataloguing it. I scanned everything as I tagged it, and then uploaded." Tim flicked through some personal items including some obvious keepsakes and tourist knick knacks from their state tours. Among them were two theatre tickets. "The theatre tickets might give us another lead to the romantic interest. We can check who purchased them." said Tim as he moved onto the next slide, a stack of letters. "We found a couple of business cards and letters from a private security company working in Afghanistan."

"She was being head hunted for private militia," surmised Gibbs.

"Maybe, but one of them was torn in two. I got the impression she wasn't thinking about it. There was another card. It most likely came from our Romeo, attached to some flowers: Thank you for the most enjoyable evening I've had in years. Same chain of florist that was used for the flowers that came to the auditorium this afternoon. It's a good link, but the flowers for this afternoon were ordered from the base on behalf of the organizers, and delivered by a sixteen year old who worked there. He didn't see the bees in the arrangement, so there is no way of knowing whether they were put in there at the shop or later at the auditorium."

"You chase that lead, anything else?"

"Just a few photographs," said Tim. He flicked through some very typical family shots of her as a small child with her father and mother, then some recent shots of the delegates enjoying the many sights they had gone to on their stopovers. There was one of the group standing in front of some enormous hot dog, all lined up at the end, creating an illusion in the depth of field that had them emulating trying to eat the thing.

Both Ziva and Tony looked up from their desks. "Who's the grumpy blonde one at the end," asked Tony.

"Oh, that's Bridget," said Ziva, joining them in front of screen again.

"Adrienne was an only child, so there aren't many family shots, just the two of her parents. Then this one..." said Tim. Another more contemporary looking image appeared of an older woman standing in the doorway. Her face is turned to the side as she looks down at a small child who is almost hiding behind her skirts. The setting seemed to be in a kitchen doorway of a small house - a home, with sandstone rendered walls. "The other women mentioned this picture coming with a letter. But, there were no letters in the stack we found that referenced the photograph or anything that might be connected to it," explained Tim. "The woman has a resemblance to Adrienne's mother, perhaps a sister. The girls thought she might be an aunt."

"There is no information about an aunt," said Tony. "The kid looks scared."

Ziva looked closer. "Not scared, maybe a little shy..." Ziva paused, then looked closer ,scanning the setting and taking a closer look at the woman's profile. Suddenly she gasped.

"What?" snapped Gibbs turning to look at Ziva as she bought her hand to her mouth.

"Nothing...I, " stated Ziva.

"You wanna try that again," growled Gibbs, instantly aware of her lie.

Ziva stared at him. "I'm not sure..."

"Not sure you wanna lie to me or not sure about the photo?"

"Not sure about the photo." she looked into Gibbs face, knowing he would see her honest response. "Gibbs, 924. I'll be back," she said as she turned, left the bull pen and headed up the stairs to the director's office.

"924?" asked Tim.

Gibbs ignored the question. "McGee, get me a print out of that photograph... all the photographs, including her graduation ones. I want them on my desk within the hour. By morning I want information on all the leads, Bridget, the George Clooney Guy, satellite communications , the florist and apiarists in the D.C. area. Work with Abby.

"Apiarist?"

"Bee keepers."

"What about Ziva?"

"She's checking on something else."

"You gonna let us in on it, Boss?" asked Tony.

"Yeah!" was all Gibbs said before picking up a heavy file on his desk and heading for the elevator.

Cut away to long shot interior of Gibbs's house. It is around eight pm and Gibbs's shadow can be seen through the frosted glass panel of the door. He opens it and Marley scoots under his arm and enters before him. She runs for the stairs.

Gibbs shoved the thick heavy file under his arm, circled his thumb and finger before putting them between his teeth and whistling at the top of his lungs. Marley immediately stopped and turned around to face him, shoulders slumped.

"Kitchen," he orders, using the manila file to point the way.

Marley begrudgingly headed that way, while Gibbs followed. Throwing the file on the table he headed over to the coffee pot and started to blend a brew, while Marley made herself comfortable on a kitchen chair.

"So, did you like Zac's lasagne?" asked Marley trying to break the ice.

"Yup, like anything I don't have to cook," said Gibbs pouring himself a coffee.

Marley played with the edges of the file that sat on the table in front of her. "This the file on the dead lady?"

"Ah huh," he said taking a huge gulp of the very hot black brew.

"So you got some research to do tonight?" she asked. "Guess, I'm headed for an early night then."

"Yes and no. I've got some files to go over, but I thought we could catch a movie together before you hit the sack."

"Cool, so I'm not in trouble. Whew! Done and dusted, then. I got a lecture just about from everyone, Gibbs - Ducky, Abby, even Gill before we came home. I'll never do that again, promise. Three lectures in one day is a enough of a deterrent for any kid. Especially mom, Gill, she gets worried I'm going to re-live... stuff, you know. It's cool, though because I know she cares and, really, it makes me feel safe."

"Yeah?" Gibbs said raising an eyebrow. With a smirk on his face hit put his cup on the bench and moved towards Marley. "I've got a better deterrent." Gibbs pulled Marly up off the chair and took her place. In a flash he had her over his knee peppering her backside with firm quick swats as he lectured. "Well, you weren't safe, not in the back of the van, unsupervised and unrestrained. It was not a secured crime scene. We had no knowledge of the victim's cause of death - accident or murder. Hell, little girl, it could have been a hostage situation."

Marley had little time to protest, as Gibbs quickly and efficiently made his point. She barely got the first yelp out before his open palm made contact with her wriggling lower torso.

"Done and dusted!" declared Gibbs as he laid the last swat down and stood Marley up. He looked into her teary large brown eyes, then leaned forward and pressed his head against her forehead."That, knucklehead, will be the consequence every time you put your safety at risk, got it?"

"Yep," she nodded.

"We're good, then." He pecked her on the nose, and stood up and went to retrieve his coffee.

Marley sniffed, and then blew out breath before she retook her seat at the table, only to jump up from the sudden discomfort of sitting. She stood there scowling and rubbing her backside. "Still, that's four lectures and a spanking... so not fair," she groused.

"Everybody's just looking out for you," said Gibbs, bringing his coffee to the table and taking Marley's seat once again. He pulled her close and let her stand between his legs and lean her back against his chest.

"Yeah, I know."

"You keep letting that little green monster rule your thinking, not good."

"I just want you and Gill to get married and be my legitimate parents, you know, for real."

"I can understand that, but we are your legitimate parents. Marriage, that's something Gill and I will decide, so no more games from you. Got it?"

"Huh?" exclaimed Marley turning to face Gibbs.

Gibbs laughed., "Gill's my girl. Let me do the leg work, kid. Okay?"

"She's your girl? Nice!" giggled Marley. "Mine, too."

"Shower, pyjamas, then we stake out on the sofa in fifteen," ordered Gibbs, sending her off with a smack to her jean clad backside.

The sting in her tail and the word shower was enough to motivate Marley, and she scooted to the stairs.

Gibbs continued to sip the last of his hot coffee as he sifted through Adrienne's file. So far there were a couple of possible motives and suspects. The Irish girl, Bridget - was it a bout of jealously over this affair Adrienne was having with the mysterious and still unidentified officer, or was it an act of revenge? Further investigation showed that her brother was killed in the botched covert operation 'Nero'. That was just one of the many operations Adrienne had been part of, though that information was classified and in front of Gibbs at the very moment. How would Bridget find out the details of the personnel involved?

The mysterious 'Romeo' as Di Nozzo put it, was also a suspect. The coincidence of the phone calls, Bridget's introducing him to Adrienne, and the flowers bought from the same retail chain was interesting. Gibbs didn't believe in coincidences- rule no: 39.

Finally, there was Adrienne's classified files. Lots of successes and some botched runs, yet all documented as positive accomplishments and victories. Victory with loses, collateral losses, like Bridget's brother. A number of enemies to be found here, thought Gibbs as he perused the files details.

The last of the suspects came in the two photographs Gibbs had Tim reproduce and enlarge -. a woman with a small child and Adrienne's graduation photographs. Ziva's reaction to the first one was concerning, but the second one left no doubt to another connection. Gibbs's gut told him they were all somehow linked.

Gibbs stood up and went to the second kitchen drawer and rummaged around. Wading his way through the cooking utensils he found a small magnifying glass. Tim had blown the image up, but there was a face in the background that Gibbs wanted another closer look at...

Suddenly there was a knock at the back door, and Tony entered.

"Lost your glasses, boss?" asked Tony, nodding his head towards the magnifying glass Gibbs held in his hand.

"Nope. What you got, DiNozzo?" he asked.

"Ziva, boss. What's going on? She's not answering her cell."

Gibbs handed Tony the two photographs.

Tony scanned the first one. "Who are they, Boss?"

"The elderly lady is Adrienne's aunt, her mother's sister, Erika Foutenard. She is Eli David's housekeeper. That picture was taken at one of his safe houses."

"Ziva's going to Israel?" asked Tony.

"Yep, she's on the 23:00 from the base."

"So Adrienne is connected to Eli David. The kid, do you think he's his? Ziva has another half brother. She's going to love that!"

"Not sure about the boy's parentage or role. Ziva knows where the safe house is. She didn't want their security compromised. She'll make contact with me when she gets there. The second photo's a bigger reason for wanting her there to get answers."

Gibbs handed Tony the magnifying glass as he shuffled the second photograph on top of the first. "Top right hand corner, behind the graduates- a group of men, most likely professors or associate professors." Gibbs guided Tony's gaze, tracing his finger over the photograph.

Tony pulled back the glass trying to get a focused large image. "Shit!"

FREEZE FRAME : Cut to extreme close-up of a hand holding a magnifying glass over a grainy photograph. The image is fractured except for the enlarged portion of a face; the face of Ari Haswari. Convert Black and White. CUT.

TBC Chapter 4: Father Brother Sister Son

A.N. A huge thank you to Harliquinn for editing this for me, adding insights and encouragement. Sorry for the wait folks, but my mind has been elsewhere with the loss of my brother. Thank you everybody for your kind words...

So who's your guess on the killer? Of course as usual, my clue's have expanded.