"What do you mean she's gone ?" Amy shouted in confusion, her eyebrows furrowing and her entire body taut with anger.
"She left !" Tony completely unaware of the anger radiating off the secretary.
"What did you do?"
"Nothing!"Tony muttered.
Amy jumped, hearing Travis let out a snort as he wrapped his arms around the woman's waist. Amy let out a sigh as Travis rested his head on her. shoulder, kissing him on the cheek quickly.
From Travis' view, Tony looked like he was going to punch the nearest window, his hands clenching into fists.
"What did you do?"
"Why I just be the one to out the blame?"Tony mutters.
"Because we are Wolfs!"Amy intones." "And that is our jobs , be the bad guy in someone story!"
The world spins, twists into something unrecognisable and blurry, and then realigns. Tony's glad he hasn't had anything to eat, since he's not sure he'd have been able to keep it down at this
"She told me to be honest with her!"
"Mmmm" Amy was getting annoyed now, she wanted answers, not some cryptic mumbling. "Tell me what is happening." She asserted.
Tony exhales quietly. "Yeah. I think that may be a conversation best had sitting down. If you're going to ask me in, that is."
Amy tears her eyes from Tony' s face to take in his attire for the first time. He's wearing a pair of pants and shoes Amy has never seen on him, casual but still miles from the ratty converse he wore when they first met.
She looked at the him and noticed that there's a bag slung over his hand big enough to contain at least one or two spare outfits. Here to stay, then?
"Whiskey?"
"Oh, yes. Please. The drive up here took ages."
"Thanks," he says when Amy hands her a cup.
"Come on. Let's sit down."
Silence reigns between them as they take a seat opposite each other, but when Amg inspects his face, Tony doesn't seem tense or awkward. She's looking at him, her eyes narrowed in contemplation.
Tony takes a sip of his whikey and said. "Someone is blackmail me!"
"Speak now!"Amy demanded.
Tony took a deep breath. He told Amy everything. How it started with a few phone calls out of nowhere and hung up on him, the feeling of being followed by someone or something and then the photos. A lot of pictures of his family, his beautiful walking out the firm or Jason, his little boy playing in the park with his cousin.
"Brother, why didn't you come to me?" Amy asked she didn't bother to try and hide the hurt in her voice.
"Because I didn't want to involve you into this shit. I thought i can handle it bug it blow up in my face."He was now sobbing he shouldn't have let things get out of control like this.
Amy stared at him when something suddenly clicked ahe knelt down in front of him once again grabbing his chin and turning his face to look him in the eyes.
"You are my brother , Tony. Your problem is my problem, your pain is my pain. You should have trusted me to help you"Amy said.
"I know!" Tony yelled then calmed down "I know! I do trust you I trust all of you, but I was scared hell I'm still scared" Tony admitted his voice was shaky.
"I am going to help you..."
"No"Tony yelled." It's my fault , I am not going to put you in danger..."
"Antony"
Tony fell silent. He had never once won an argument against that tone.
Amy shot him a small smile. "I'm not letting you do this alone."
Tonh tried to glare Amy into submission, but Amy met his gaze with calm eyes and waited patiently until Tony wilted. "Fine," Tony muttered "But you are not going to tell her nothing about it"
Wallowing around in her bed and wiping away ever falling tears all day wasn't something that she thought you'd be doing when she pairing Antony Wolf. However, at the moment she couldn't think of what else to do. She needed to get her emotions out and rest at the same time.
The familiar footsteps caught her attention and she felt her body tense. Anticipation and anxiety wracked her form as her husband to enter the room.
What would she say to him? Could she even bring it up? What if what she heard only happened in a dream? He would never actually hurt her this way would he? He had promised to love and cherish only her and their son after all. How could Antony Wolf of all people break his promise?
In her thoughts, she'd barely heard the door to their bedroom open. He doesn't say anything when he walks through the door. Katrina hears the rustle of clothing and assume that he is removing his suit jacket. Her assumptions were proved correct when he comes to sit on the side of their shared bed and pulls the blanket from over her head. He reveals himself to be in his white shirt and black suit pants.
"Can I say something?"
He jumps slightly at the sound of her voice and turns to look at her with curious brown orbs.
"Since when do we lie to each other?" She wet her lips with the tip of her tongue and searched his eyes.
Katrina shook her head. "I've been patient," She said quietly, staring at her hands, twisting the ring on her finger. "I've waited patiently, Tony," she said, shaking her head, "for you to trust me."
Tony tilted his head. "Of course I trust you"
Katrina scowled. "Stop it!" she snapped, pushing to her feet and jabbing a finger against Tony's chest."Hiding behind your Wolf's mask!"Katrina made a disgusted nose in his throat and turned away.
"You always wore the Wolf mask when they pit you on the corner." She said conversationally, taking a step closer.
Tony frowned down at the bed and Katrina could see tears glistening in his eyes. She longed to reach out, offer a comforting hand, pull Tony into a hug like she'd wanted to so many times before. She forced herself to remain still.
"I thought we were a team!"Katrina turning back around. She crossed her arms and watched as Tony tidied up his desk, not meeting Katrina's gaze. "You know, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part."
"I did that i though was best for.." He tries to explain.
It was not your decision to make!"
He looks at her pathetically and she suddenly fined that her positions have been reversed and he is the one sitting on the bed while she are the one standing.
Katrina can feel her tears start to well up again but she quickly wipe at her eyes in an attempt to wipe them away. "The right thing to do a my husband and father of my son was to tell me the truth and make a decision together as a team and couple instead of that, you pullen a Bastiana on my , on your own fucking wife!"
He doesn't respond and he hangs his head down in shame.
"Look at me!" Katrina snap agitated and causing him to meet her gaze. "You were bold enough to go and do it now you have to take the consequences the same way you did them."
"I wasn't going to tell you," he said truthfully.
She feel her jaw twitch at the honesty and the frown that's pulling at her lips is almost painful. "Who else knows?"
"Amy and Travis " He answered immediately.
I 'm leaving' 'She said in the middle of the fight.
''What? 'Tony asked, needing to hear it a second time to make sure he hadn't.
''I 'm leaving, Tony''She wipes at her eyes."I cant be with you at the same room at this moment. I need time!"
"What about our son?
The man was shocked when the palm of Katrina's hand smacked hard against his cheek and his head snapped to the side.
''You mean my son? Katrina 'asked, laughing sardonically." I will shield Jason from this and makes sure he doesn't find out what a laying human being his father is ..."
"Are you coming back?"The hope in Tony's voice was unbearable. He sounded like a dying man, desperate for absolution.
She look at his sad brown orbs and shake her head, "I don't know."
"I love you," he says desperately."Please don't leave!"
"No you don't," She says pushing him away from her. "If you did you wouldn't have done this."
"I would die before I hurt you," Tony said, his voice strangled. "I would kill anyone who ever tried to do you harm and and it pains me to think that you could ever leave me for that.."
"Here we go again" Katrina said breathlessly." Emotional manipulation, how Wolf of you..."
"I'm not standing here as a Wolf, Katrina!" Tong shouted, his voice breaking as he did so. "I'm standing here as a man, a man who believed he knew you completely, a man who thought you were the one constant in his life, a man who thought…who thought you could understand his thought and actions ," he finished, horrified to feel tears pricking his eyes.
''Do not test me right now, Wolf'' Katrina is saying, words made sharp with temper. Or, perhaps, withholding her temper back.
Tony felt shivers all around his body. Katrina was cold. Fiery Latrina can deal with - she's mostly bluster and passion. Icy Katrina is actually the most terrifying. It's when she's past anger, past feelings.
He braces himself for the blow - it's a knockout.
"Do you know when Steve McGarret came to pay his respects to me after our wedding she said something curious? "She refused to look away, staring calmly back at him" He asked how it felt to be married to a Wolf and to a Dinozzo,' she looked away from her husband back out of the window, 'at first I thought it was just a little joke at how the two of you were the same person. However, looking back I realise that he was being serious. I wasn't just married to Tony Dinozzo, the Wolf was always there, he never left and what's more you wanted him to be there. "
He blinked rapidly moving his head away from her. His mouth opened and closed a few times before asking, 'Are you saying you made a mistake in marrying me?' Tony watched her cautiously as though he feared the answer.
'I am saying that had I known then what I do now. Had I known what a lie my life would become forced to forever live in the shadow of another then I never would have agreed to marry you,' her voice was soft and filled with a deep rooted pain.
'You knew who I was; you knew that I was a a man with a past and secrets, that I would someday become him. I never once lied to you about that.'
She choked out a hollow laugh at him and Tony backed off disgusted and began to pace in front of her, running a finger through his hair, black with flecks of grey.
"But you did"Katrina yelled, her voice cracking slight. " That's is why I am angry. You fucking lied to me straight to my face and..
"What do you want me to do so you can forgiv.."Katrina rounds on him and Tony's voice gets stuck in his throat. Katrina just looks so… other. And so powerful.
Travis was right, Tony has a power kink. Who knew? But he can dwell on that some other time. He focusses so he can hear what Katrina is saying rather than just watching how those ruby lips move oh so distractingly.
"You will get all your friends in on this. I want the complete cooperation of every 'unsavoury contact' the lot of you have between yourselves. And if they don't answer to money, they will answer to Katrina Wolf's gun. That ought to light a fire under their arses."Katrina interrupts, her voice is low and full of threat.
"Done"
Katrina blinked rapidly moving her head away from him. She mouth opened and closed a few times before said." I hate you. I fucking hate you. Some times I want to kiss the shit out of you and others to hide your body under my garden. You drive me so mad to the point where I can divorce your ugly ass...and...and...I can't live without you. Without you, I'm helpless. You're my strength, courage, and motivation. I love you more than you know."
She told him and Tony raised an eyebrow in confusion. What was Katrina trying to say? He got the answer a second after she pounced forward and planted her lips on his.
Tony didn't know how to react at the start but he decided to go for it and grabbed Katrina by the shoulder once more and they both stood up. This time when he pushed Katrina against the wall Katrina jumped and wrapped her legs around Tony's waist.
Their kiss was passionate, none like neither of them had felt before, this was a mix of love, hate and just plain anger. Katrina ran her fingers through Tony's hair and pulled at it slightly causing Tony to groan in arousal into the kiss. Katrina was getting more and more turned on by the minute.
Katrina moaned, running her fingers through his hair, and felt him shudder violently against her. "Kat," he gasped into her mouth, sliding a leg between hers and rubbing a jerky hand up and down her side like he couldn't get enough contact, "Kat, oh god-" She slipped her tongue into his mouth again, cutting him off, and he was lifting her onto the counter and stepping impossibly closer, pressing into her and forcing her to put a hand out behind her for support-
There was a loud crash as the tinkling of shattered glass filled the condo, and Katrina couldn't help her tiny gasp as she wrenched away. The wine, she realized, she must have knocked over the wine, but she didn't look back to check. Instead, she was focused on Tony, his chest heaving and hair out of place as he stared at her with pupils blown wide. Neither of them moved for a long moment.
"I think-" Katrina began after the silence began to stretch, and her voice was embarrassingly hoarse. She cleared her throat and willed herself not to blush. "I think I may destroy a wedding gift."
He stared at her for a second longer, almost disbelieving, and then barked out a sharp laugh. "Fuck the carpet." He said and hesitated before he moved a gentle hand back into her hair. When she didn't object, he leaned closer and slowly dropped his head to rest in the crook of her neck. "Is this... okay?" He asked quietly, his voice slightly muffled against her skin.
It was a bigger question than it seemed, Katrina knew, and she was surprised at how little she had to think about the answer. "It's okay." She confirmed, and Tony'lips were turning up into a slow smile against her neck. She shivered at the feeling and shivered again when he turned the motion into a light kiss at her pulse point. "So, do you want to clean up the wine?" She asked half-heartedly because she felt she should. The carpet..."
"Fuck the carpet." He repeated, and pressed a kiss behind her ear, and then another one on her cheek, finally finding her mouth again. She sighed into it, and he was still smiling when he pulled away. "I've got more important things to think about."
Taking Katrina's face in his hands and turning it ever so slightly, laying the dark, angry bruise bare to the light. Katrina hadn't flinched as he came at her, for all the violence that his hands had perpetrated, they were gentle as he held her.
She smiles, and she kisses him again, slow and sweet, and then she stands up, holding out her hand to him.
He takes it and follows her into his bedroom.
Bastiana neven think to put words jealous and Bastiana Wolf in the same sentence, she dismisses it as easily as she chose the shoes to match her outfit that morning. It was hard for her to truly jealous someone. The feeling was pointless, irrational and led to brazen actions that could easily lead to one's downfall. She prided herself on being cool and methodical. She could be annoyed by people, disgusted by their existence, but blind jealousy was something she had never really experienced in her life. She supposed it was because she had never had someone bring harm to her in an intimate way, no one who had attacked her emotions enough to warrant the feeling. Naturally she felt that such a thing was unlikely to occur, as the Wolf generally didn't have much emotional clout to be damaged in the first placed. She was born and bred in the a abused and quite world, her heart firmly enclosed in a locked steal case.
Of course, she thought sourly as her gaze snapped to her phone at the sound of an unknown number of numerous incoming text messages. She focused on the words playing on her screen when a voice spoke, saying aloud what she was reading.
She felt jealousy now. It was the most intense most irrational kind of jealous, the kind that made her heart burn and her vision crimson. It made her want to tarnish, to destroy, to kill. She felt like nothing in the world existed other than her jealousy, that nothing else mattered.
It was the clicking of heals that made Bastiana look up, her gaze meeting with the friend of her ,Olivia Benson. The woman stopped in front of a table, leaning back on her arms and subtly propping her left leg, showing off her attributes. Bastiana tilted her head, her eyes slowly squeezing as ahe tried to evaluate the woman in front of her.
'Shut up''Bastiana says by way of a hello.
''I don't say anything''Olivia cringes
''You're thinking. It's annoying''she admonishes sternly.
They regard each other.
"You look good," Olivia tells him earnestly.
Bastiana raises her eyebrows. "Thank you. I could say the same about you."
Olivia just smiles, the curve of her lips holding words she can only guess at.
"What are you doing here?" Bastiana asks. Her own voice is mellow, softened by surprise and the genuine happiness of seeing Olivia again that's setting in.
Olivia seems to pick up on it too, or maybe hee tone just happens to match hee when she teases, "What, I can't visit an old friend when I feel like it?"
"Did you just call me old?"
Olivia chuckles, the well-known and tender sound washing over Bastiana. "I sure did."
They grin at each other before Bastiana raises an eyebrow. "Seriously, What is going on?."
Instead of giving a reply, Olivia tilts her head. "Want?"
Olivia's expression grows sheepish, so Bastiana adds, "Don't get me wrong. It's not that I'm not happy to see you. I just..."
"Wonder what it is that made me show up here when I haven't called in days?" Olivia finishes, her smile almost ashamed.
"Pretty much," Bastiana agrees.
Olivia hesitated for a moment after all she wasn't one for gossip. More often than not, the rumors that entertained the bullpen were all false. The story changing with each retelling.
"What is going on between you and Agent Gibbs?"
"What!" She barked and Olivia didn't flinch, only deepened her concerned expression.
"I saw you"Olivia replied in a whisper. " Yesterday at the bullpen!"
FLASHBACK
Bastiana is standing in the doorway of Olivia Benson's office, back in casual jeans and sweater, glaring at them both. "Doesn't this look cozy."
Hollis Mann looks down to where her hand is still on Gibbs's, and very deliberately doesn't move it. Gibbs follows her gaze, and his face flames up before he tugs his hand away.
"Bastiana." Gibbs actually gets to his feet. Gibbs sounds absurdly guilty, for all that nothing had happened. Bastiaba watches with amusement as Mann's jaw clenches, then deliberately relaxes. Gibbs takes a step forward, and it's like the other woman isn't even there anymore.
Gibbs doesn't, quite, rush to her side like a worried wife, but it's close."What are you doing here?"
"Me?" Bastiana says gruffly, shrugging off Gibbs's worry like it's nothing. "You are the one who is are in the wrong building."
"I have a new case" Gibbs explains."Dead marine with evidence of sexual assault!"
Hearing the words "sexual assault" ,Bastiana straightened, pressing her palms to her thighs to disguise their trembling.
"Did you find something?" She ask and It nearly killed Gibbs, to hear how much pain and confusion filled Bastiana' voice.
" Not much" Gibbs said honestly. He noticed her worried expression as she received the news ,the way she wrung her hands like she did when she was nervous.
Wordlessly he moved to Bastiana's side. Ge took the lawyer's hands in his own and intertwining their fingers, offering whatever comfort he can.
"That was a beautiful moment."comes a voice from the door, and that seemed to snap Bastiana out of some sort of trance, and she yanked his hand away like she'd been burned.
"Hi, B" Olivia says, getting in her office.
"'Liv," Bastiana smiles upon seeing the other brunette, "you look stunning. Glowing, even"
Olivia kisses her cheek in greeting, then holds her hand, inviting her to twirl for her, which she does. A huge smile is plastered on her face upon seeing her friend.
"Should Jessica be jealous?" Bastiana teases, Olivia holds her left hand up, showing off her ring. She does this whenever she has the chance. Bastiana throws her head back and laughs, "Guess not,"
Benson stares at her with big eyes."Where have you been?"
"What are you? My mother?"Bastiana asked, incredulity tinting her voice.
"Not but I thought you'd be too busy trying to write a testimony'"Olivia murmured.
"Been there do that!" Bastiana replied, pushing away from Olivia and linking her arm with hers.
Just then, Hollis Mann cut in as if her presence isn't wrong in every single way.
"You two know each other?"
"No"Olivia said lifted her bowed head and gave her an "are you stupid?" look that Mann founded very insulting while Gibbs just watches them with a calculating look.
Bastiana's head swung around and she narrowed hrr eyes at Mann before turning back to Olivia."Anyway"Bastiaa said with a shake of her head, "I am here to borrow!"
Olivia pinched the bridge of her nose. "I thought that was your personal time with Jessica?" she grated.
"We'd make a lovely couple," Bastiana said casually, flipping her hair out of her face."But I cant spill the tea without you !"
Olivia's eyes lit up for a moment at her words.
"Let go!"Olivia gave a small snort, finished gathering her things, and made her way out of the office.
Bastiana takes a step back, turns to go.
"Bastiana," Gibbs says, and Baatiana goes still. "You'll be back for dinner tomorrow?" There is the barest pause before he says dinner, as if he wanted to suggest another meal, but Bastiana doesn't seem to catch it. She looks over her shoulder, and gives another one of her beaming smiles.
END FLASH BACK
"So you have a date tonight?"
Bastiana waits a few moments before turning to Olivia. "Its not a date anyway. Leory canceled it because Hollis Mann wants help with a case" Bastiana, trying hard to keep the bitterness out of her voice this time. She fails.
The woman smiles maliciously,"So he has a date with this woman then, Hollis Man!"
Bastiana tensed. "Not a date," she said tightly.
Olivia raised an eyebrow at Bastiana's back, noting what could only be described as jealousy in the lawyer's tone. "I didn't mean," she started to say but stopped when Bastiana shook her head.
"No," Bastiana said, turning and giving her a grin that didn't quite reach hee eyes, "I know." Bastiana waved a hand. "He sent a a Message to me bout it and promise to made up to me." Bastiana snorted, shaking her head.
Olivia let out a surprised laughed. "That sounds like a man of his word," she said.
"If he was a man of his word he wouldn't canceled on me!"
Olivia starts up a mantra in hee head, consisting mostly of don't let it show that Bastiana sounds like a married woman whose partner is cheating on her, don't let it show, don't let it...
"He said that will now up to you 'right??" Olivia asks her quietly, making sure to keep her gaze fixed pointedly away.
"Have I...? Liv! This is not the point. The point is that no one date to cancel on Bastiana Wolf specifically for another woman" Bastiana explodes, exhaling harshly.
Olivia makes a bitchface at a wall, only so she won't focus it on Bastiana. Causing an argument between them won't do well for anyone. Besides, Bastiana's a bit like a dysfunctional gun that has a problem with randomly going off. When se's fired up, she often doesn't care who she shoots off at, even if they aren't who she is originally angry at in the first place. Olivia can hold her tongue, if only because she's already so tired.
"He deserves to be happy," Bastiana said quietly," If this woman can make it.."
Olivia reached out and squeezed her hand. "You deserve to be happy too."
Bastiana took a deep breath and thought of Harvey Specter, of Aaron Hotchner , of all the things they'd been through in the past year.
She loved Harvey Specter in her own wick way. Loving fight and arguing with him , how his eyes used to light up when saw her walking toward him. Their tension in every fight, in every word , in every move and trial. She loved their conversations and their arguments, it made her feel alive but Bastiana was a little disappointed. She thought that she had finally found it, that she had finally understood what everyone had been talking about. But she still had time, right?
Then there was Aaron Hotchner. Beautiful agent, who was so hard and formal on the outside, but it all melted away once he was off of the spotlight. When he let himself go, there was no one quite like him.
Ahe thought she fell in love, a little bit. She admired Hotch'a dark hair, his strength, and his ability to care. And she knew he admired her too. She caught him giving her soft smiles, and she would always return them. They grew closer. She thought that maybe this was love.
It was...nice, but it felt wrong. She felt as if she was putting up another front, another disguise that looked good from the outside but stabbed her with jagged edges on the inside.
Bastiana said nothing in reply, only took a single step forward.
'Leroy made me feel things''Baatiana said curtly.
''What things?''asked Olivia, in a voice that was far too kind.
''Feelings''She snapped.
Olivia perturbed with her answer.''Gibbs made you feel feelings?''she asked
''Yeah''
''What an asshole''
They both laughed.
Olivia smiled and looked into Bastiana's eyes.
"You like him!"
Oh.
This was not happening. This was not in the plan. Bastiana didn't have time to fall, er, become attracted to anyone. And even if ahe did, she'd choose someone a hell of a lot more suitable than Leroy. Someone who would understand her life. Who sacrificed himself day in and day out for her , just like she did multiple times in the past for her family. Someone warm and caring and funny, who actually seemed to want Bastiana to like him. Someone pretty much like...
Bastiana stared helplessly down at Olivia.
"Are you still think about him?" Olivia asked reluctantly and if yes Bastiana answered yes, they fuck up.
He has tried everything to have a rest, even drunk milk, for god's sake. But it was all for nothing. Tony felt like screaHe tossed and turned in the bed but couldn't free himself from the disturbing thoughts.
He moves slowly, aware of the woman still sleeping soundly cuddled up next to him. He can't help the smile that spreads across his face when he feels the shift in the bed as the body moves closer to him, seeking warmth. Katrina was sleeping peacefully beside him, her naked body relaxed, moonlight upon his face. Tony wouldn't count how many nights he has spent just watching her sleeping but couldn't tell him about that. But probably Katrina has sensed it.
And right now he was disturbing Katrina, possibly his sighing and rustling were already heard. He sat up on the bed, switched on the bedside lamp, swung his legs off the bed, ready to get up. Tony went out to the balcony, sitting at the small table. Once again, he unfolded the peace of paper and began to reading.
Dear Antony,
You have a lot of precious things in your life , Antony.
You know what they say, you are not aware of what you have until it is all taken away from you.
Be careful.
Your worst fear.
Tony fisted the paper in his hand, and trembled with rage as he read the letter, how dare this person threat his family. Threats to destroy his live ad took everything from him.
Tony pulled out the note the outsider had left and frowned at it, trying to will more information from the few short sentences than he'd already gleaned from his numerous readings of it but there was nothing else to be found.
The man stared into the sky and after standing out there for what seemed like hours, Tony turned back inside.
Those letter was. crooks when he foot there. He stood, starring down at the wretched paper as it shredded into a million piece.
''Good riddance' 'said Tony and before walk back to his room and lie down with his wife.
Katrina sniffles when Tony wraps his arm around her shoulders and kisses the top of her head.
They've suffered through a hell of a lot to get where they are, surviving every single day and besting every goddamn obstacle that's been hurled in their way.
Tony rests his free hand on top of the covers, listening to the sound of early morning traffic on the streets below, vaguely perceiving the gradual change in the light.
For now, for an instant, here's some perfection.
Everything's going to be alright.
At the next morning Bastiana was startled to find a vase full of daisies on her desk when she arrived to work Monday. It was a gesture frequently done by someone she used to know, but it was impossible that these could have come from said person. There wasn't a card, but it wasn't a mystery to her who they were from.
Leroy Gibbs.
After admiring them for a good few minutes, she tore her gaze away, put her belongings in her desk, and got straight to work.
A few hours and some paperwork, Bastiana was exhausted, hunched over yet another pile of paperwork as she read through and highlighted the brief in her hand.
She looked up from her pile of paperwork as she heard familiar footsteps close in and then stop in front of her's office.
"Would you like company?"Gibbs asked, coming inside the office.
Bastiana smiled happily, standing up and walk away from her desk to wrap her arms around Gibbs' neck. She caught sight of Mike and Amy over Gibbs' shoulder and stared."You couldn't have more perfect timing."
"Are you ok?", He noticed the slight worrisome look on Bastiana's face."Are you ok?"
"Just some paperwork."
Gibbs sat silent, thinking. "I want to take you somewhere."
"What? Now?" She laughed lightly, as Gibbs stood up and grabbed their coats. The air felt heavy and they both needed a breather. Gibbs knew just the place to bring her spirits up once more.
"Yes. Now."
"But I have a lot of work and..."
"Don't worry about it"Amy's voice came over on speaker phone. "Shepard switched our meeting time."
Gibbs helped Bastiaa slip on her coat, then placed her arms through his, slipping it onto his shoulders. "Where could we possibly go?"
"I have to make up to you" He smiled. "After all I am man of my world." He held out his hand resulting in Bastiana gasping it firmly.
"Let go!" He said with a smile, he placed his hand his hand on her waist.
To Bastiana's surprise, they don't go to Del Posto or Carbone. They don't, in fact, go anywhere either of them have ever been before together. She'd tried to get it out of him in the car but Gibbs had been incredibly tight-lipped.
The car comes to a stop and Gibbs's out and opening her door in no time, before she's ever had a chance to gather her purse. Placing her hand in his proffered one, she lets herself be gently pulled out of the car and takes a look around.
The Central Park Zoo?" Bastiana gaped at the sign in awe. "I've always wanted to go to a zoo."
"Yeah, I..-" Gibbs caught himself. Bastiana looked over, not fully hearing what he said as she was in too much shock.
"What?" She questioned, thinking she missed him saying something important.
"No. Nothing." He confirm still had her hand clutched in his own as they walked through the tall iron gates and into the zoo.
Instantly, all different sights and sounds flooded their senses.
There were children in colorful clothes yelling and laughing, walking alongside their parents or chasing one another with stuffed animals from the gift shop.
There were people enjoying lunch at picnic tables, and people in some of the animal houses. Humans and faunus alike intermingled, and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Colorful flags and signs with pictures of different animals on them told them which way led to which creatures.
Students were walking about leisurely without the stress of having to get to classes this morning. Some sat on benches or in the fields, at picnic tables or along the sidewalk.
Bastiana stood there a moment, taking it all in, loving that the place hadn't changed much since her childhood.
Gibbs was quite amazed by it all as well. As a child, she'd often been busy and never had gotten the chance to come here often. There had actually been one time his family had tried to bring him, but due to unfortunate weather circumstances, they had turned back at the entrance.
But now, it was all here at his fingertips.
After a few hours of walking around, they stopped for lunch at a small food stand. Gibbs bounced eagerly beside the lawyer, mumbling about what she was going to get. As soon as they reached the vendor, Bastiana frowned.
"Are there no salads here? Or fruit?"
"Uhhh, Bastiana?" Gibbs pointed up at the sign above. "This is a hot dog stand."
"Oh... Well then, I can just-"
"Get a hot dog!" Gibbs finished for her. "And some fries!"
"Oh, I-I'm not sure, Leroy. I really shouldn't."
"What? Aw, c'mon, Wolf! It's not like you gotta watch your figure or anything! You don't need to worry about that kinda stuff! It's just one meal for one day! Be a rebel!"
As Gibbs nudged her side with her elbow, Bastiana caved.
"Well... I suppose you're right..."
"You know I am!"
Gibbs ordered them each a hot dog and some fries to share. He also ordered Himself a beer and Pyrrha requested water.
They paid for each other's food, and once it was ready, brought it over to a nearby picnic table. There were a few ducks and chickens loose around this area, walking around on the wood chips to entertain the people and pick up food scraps in the process.
"I would like to thank you for today!"Bastiana said softly looking in her man's eyes."It was exactly what I needed."
"Somehow had to redempt myself!"He stood directly in front of her. Leaning down only slightly with the two inch difference in their height.
"The flowers are beautiful."
"What flowers?"He asked, staring at her with surprise.
"Don't 'what flowers' me." She rolled her eyes with a playful smile, nodding towards the vase. Gibbs frowned, his eyebrows knitting together in worry and confusion.
"Bastiana, I didn't send you flowers." She felt heart drop in her chest, and her head began to ache as her body temperature instantly flared up.
It wasn't Gibbs.
"Are you okay?" She had to play it off. Bastiana knew if it seemed like something was wrong, Gibbs would want her to explain. She wasn't ready for that. Before meeting Graves, a part of her wanted him to find her. But now, after a taste of normalcy, she isn'tt sure she wants that anymore.
"I'm fine. It's just...weird. There was no card so I assumed they were from you."
"Well, clearly you have a secret admirer." Gibbs mumbled, sounding less than impressed.
"Yeah..." She looked away from him and back to the flowers. "Clearly." Bastiaa felt as if she could vomit. She felt her new life beginning to fade away. Soon Gibbs would be nothing more than a distant memory.
She run back to her office wanting to see the flowers. Spotting them on her desk, she grab the card, reading it.
You still have fire in your eyes.
That's it. Nothing else. Just some diasys and those words, unsigned. Bastiana tries to pretend she doesn't know who sent it, but she does. It's just like him, to worm out their weaknesses—her weaknesses—to try to divide and conquer. She's not an idiot, though. She and Leroy might be having problems right now, but she's not dumb enough to fall for his's feigned sympathy. So she crinkles up the paper and tosses it in the trash.
