Super Short for this saga.

But there is a decision to be made.

Twenty Two

Jade gave the House door a curious look as she listened to the voice on the other end of the phone. "Gerry, we're not equipped for that." Jade closed her eyes against the throbbing she could feel growing in her neck. "I have security teams that can protect data, sure, but this is a damn Navy base."

"I'm aware of that, Jade. " Gerry's voice was uncharacteristically serious. "The trouble is, we can't shake a team loose to go down there for at least forty eight hours."

By then, it would be too late. "Damn."

"John Taylor, from the JAG office is on a plane headed your way." General Oliver stated. "He'll handle the official part, but if there's any way your people could protect the evidence… "

"Gerry, people could get hurt." Jade said. "This isn't the kind of thing we get involved in. Corporate double dealing, yeah, but smuggling? I'm responsible for these people, and for their safety." She paused. "And I don't know how many bastards are implicated." Injudiciously, she shifted, and stifled a gasp. "Shit."

"Jade?" Gerry spoke quickly. "Are you all right?"

Jade bit her inner lip for a long moment, then exhaled as the sharp pain receded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just twisted something."

"Well, listen my friend, I'll find some other way of doing this." General Oliver replied. "If nothing else, we'll just round up the lot of them, and start shaking."

The unfairness of that, Jade acknowledged, was exactly what she'd been afraid of. "Hang on a minute, Gerry." She put the phone down and let her head drop back on the pillow, thinking hard about her options.

Was it dangerous?

Be honest, Jade. Sure it was. Look what happened to you last night, and Chuck was a friend of yours. Jade rubbed her forehead. This was a military base, full of sailors and marines, an unknown number of whom could be involved in criminal activity, and react with violence.

But…

If she didn't help, innocent people could, and probably would get blamed, and the criminals would probably get away. Jade mulled that over. Question was, how could she help Gerry, help the base, protect the innocent, and keep her people safe at the same time? "Jesus, Giana." She murmured to herself. 'What the hell do you think you are?"

Finally, she picked up the phone again. "Gerry?"

"What's that? Oh, still here Jade."

"Let me see what I can do." Jade heard herself say the words, and wondered how she was going to back them up. "Maybe I can get a small volunteer team inside." Then an idea occurred to her. "With an escort."

There was a momentary pause. "Jade, do me a favor, eh? Don't take chances. I want to see your whole family this Christmas, been waiting for that for a long while now."

"See if you can contact that JAG staffer, send him over to my office." Jade evaded the question. "We'll get things moving here. Talk to you later, Gerry." She hung up, and put the phone down on her belly, considering what to do next.

It was a crowded doorstep. Tori stood, effectively blocking the entrance despite her relatively small size. "Jade's on the phone." She explained. "It's business."

"Uh huh." James crossed his arms. "Not like we'd know one word in six she was using." He eyed Tori curiously. "Something bothering you, kumquat?"

"Me?" Tori exhaled. "Uh…no, no. I'm fine."

"How's Jade?" Ceci asked casually.

Ah. "She's… why are you asking me that?" Tori temporized.

Jade's parents exchanged knowing looks. "All right, kumquat. What's going on." James asked. "I knew something wasn't right."

Oh boy. "It's... "

"She get hurt last night?" The question snapped at her.

"Well…"

"That little half assed bastard hurt my kid?"

"W.. y.. " Tori sucked in a breath. "Yes, that's what happened, but.. "

"Son of a biscuit." James was visibly angry.

"It's not that bad." Tori put both hands out in a calming gesture. "We've already been to the doctor's, and had tests done. It's more painful than anything else."

"You got her to go to the doc's?" James had both fists planted on his hips. "I am going to whip her behind for not tellin us."

"Dad." Tori gave him a pleading look.

Ceci ruffled her silvered blond hair. "Some things just never do change, do they." She murmured. "Keep your BVD's on, Jimmy. I can remember many a time I had to drag you kicking and yelling to the base hospital."

Her husband gave her a look. "That is not the point." He replied with a scowl. "We are not talking about me."

"No, no." Ceci patted his arm. "We're talking about your daughter. Remember her? The gorgeous , blue eyed, sandy haired girl with an attitude and more guts than sense?"

"Hey. She's got a lot of sense." Tori objected.

"Exactly." Ceci remarked.

James scowled harder. "If I'd a known that little… "

"Yes, which is why Jade didn't tell you." Ceci circled his arm with both hands. "Now, come on, let's go in and see the poor kid. See if you can make her feel better, instead of yelling at her, hm?"

"Ah do not like Jade thinking she can't tell us something like this." Jim replied. "I do not like it one bit." He nudged past Tori and opened the door. "Son of a biscuit." He muttered, leaving Tori and Ceci behind to gaze at each other in bemused sympathy.

"He'll be nice." Ceci told her. "He talks a good game, but the minute she looks up at him, he's going to cave in like one of those marshmallows you toast over a Bunsen burner."

"I know." Tori smiled. "I've been on the receiving end of those baby blues." She sighed, and opened the door. "But we've got a big problem… I'm sort of glad you're here." She followed Ceci inside. "Jade went looking for trouble down at that Navy base."

Ceci stopped, watching Jim kneel at Jade's side. "And?"

"And she found it." Tori replied grimly.

Jade sat on the couch, watching her father pace. The brick of cocaine was on the coffee table, and her mother was sitting across from her, staring at it in bemused fascination.

Tori entered and sat down next to her lover, absently slipping an arm around her back and gently rubbing it. "I know it seems bizarre," She stated. "We certainly never expected this."

James halted, and shook his grizzled head. "Ain't that saying something." He walked over and crouched down in front of Jade, putting a hand on her knee. "You know who done all this?"

Jade met his eyes, so very much like her own, and shook her head. "I haven't had time to analyze all the data we copied, and a lot of the structure is in the programming."

"You think Jeff knows?"

Jade shook her head again. "I don't know. I'd have to check the physical documentation, see what had his signature on it, or what passed through his personal authorization."

"What's yer gut telling you?" James persisted quietly.

That took some thought. Jade focused her mind inward, reviewing the facts she did know, and the assumptions she'd made. She was vaguely aware of Tori's arm, warm against her back, and she could feel the slim fingers tracing a soft, irregular pattern against her skin.

It felt really good. She leaned against Tori a little, and the blond woman's embrace tightened as Tori rested her cheek against Jade's shoulder.

Jade set the puzzle pieces out, and examined them carefully. One, she had a situation which was obviously a long term plan in progress - the evidence she'd seen indicated it had been going on for quite some time. Jeff Ainsbright had only been in charge at the base for three months.

Not enough time. Jade put a tick in that mental column. Two, whoever was organizing the situation had technical skills beyond Jeff's, and the general sense she got of the meticulous arrangements didn't fit the commander's personality. Jade put another tick in the column.

Three, with the number of people apparently involved, it would be damn near impossible for the base commander to be blind to the fact that something was going on. Jade put a tick in the opposing column.

Was it possible Jeff Ainsbright thought, as Jade had, that whatever irregularities he noticed in the books and procedures were evidence of some harmless, petty larceny which he could safely turn a blind eye to? Three months wasn't a long time to get a handle on a place as big as that was, after all.

Be honest, Jade. Her conscience quietly spoke. If this were just another target acquisition of Alastair's, would you even be considering the question? Or would you assume the worst?

Jade's eyes narrowed.

Cecilia sat back in her chair and tucked a leg up under herself, watching the silent tableau with fascinated eyes. Her daughter was obviously deep in thought, the blue eyes unfocused and remote, their lids flickering lightly as the mind behind them worked. Ceci had always had respect for the intellect she'd watched Jade develop, despite it's edgy restlessness that made Jade often hard to deal with.

She'd had her child tested, without Jim's knowledge, when Jade had come home from grade school one day, with a note from her fourth grade teacher informing Ceci that he was giving up on trying to retain Jade's attention in class. Even then, she'd tested years older than her age but Ceci had been shocked to find out just how high octane her little fourth grader's mind was.

Genius, the doctor had told her, was a two edged sword. On one hand, Jade's potential was unlimited. On the other hand, Jade was neurodivergent, ADHD and the very fact of that intelligence put Jade on a plateau that separated her at a time in her life when being different was tantamount to a childhood torture regimen.

And there she'd been, someone who'd had a high school education, and grown up in a family who valued the price of your car more than the depth of your thoughts, trying to deal with decisions on what to do about the whole thing. Ceci had felt so out of her depth raising her child.

Now, watching that same intellect, grown and matured into the sharp, incisive force shaped by Jade's intense personality that it was, she wondered if she'd ever have been able to deal with Jade, even if she hadn't had her so young, and been so isolated.

Jade's head lifted, and the introspective look vanished as she drew in a breath and returned to the hear and now. A cool expression settled over her face as she met her father's patiently waiting gaze. "No." Jade's voice was calm. "I don't think he was involved."

James's eyebrows lifted a trifle.

"But I do think he was aware." Jade went on. 'The question is, to what degree."

Tori nodded slightly, as though confirming thoughts of her own. "We won't know that unless we get all the data."

"Exactly." Jade replied. "Call Sinjin. Have him call in a security team. Make it five or six people, but tell him volunteers only." She turned and regarded Tori. "I want them to know there's a possibility of getting hurt, and where they're going. No pressure." She watched Tori nod. "We'll meet at the office. "

"All right." Tori stood up and headed for the phone.

Jade looked at her father. "You want to help?"

"Hell yes." Jim responded immediately. "Tell you what. You stay up in that penthouse of yours, and rest yer arm, and I'll take them kiddies down to the base and shake their shorts out clean." He patted Jade's knee. "All right?"

"I don't' think so." Jade's lips edged up into a tense smile. "But thanks for the offer, Dad."

"Jade, I'd be the last one to encourage your father to get into trouble, but it makes sense." Ceci offered, a trifle hesitantly. She felt a faint flush as a pair of sharp blue eyes pinned her, and reminded herself again of just how little a right she had to give her daughter advice. "Doesn't it?"

"No." Jade got up from the couch, moving fluidly around James's still crouching form and stalking towards the study. "There's too many ways for someone who knows what they're doing to stop even one of our best techs from getting what I want. " She stopped, and paused in the doorway, the restlessness evident in her flexing hand. "But they won't stop me."

Jade disappeared into her office, leaving the rest of them to exchange looks.

"Nice try." Tori offered, holding her hand over the receiver. "I could have told you he wouldn't go for it, though." She returned her attention to the phone. "That's right, Sinjin. It's the base.. no, I can't even start to go into it. " A pause. "Jade wants volunteers. Can we get a few?" Another pause. "No, that'll be up to Jade.. okay, we'll meet you there." Tori put the phone down. "Okay, that's that." She glanced towards the study, seeing through the half open door Jade's tense form crouched over her pc. "Be right back."

Ceci exhaled, as Tori, too, disappeared. She watched James as he got up and crossed to her, then sat down on the tile floor with a sigh. "What do you think, sailor boy?"

James shook his head. "Ah think this is the god damndest piece of horses butt end I ever did see."

"Mm." Ceci could only agree.

Tori paused in the doorway, then entered the study and pushed the wooden surface closed behind her. Jade was studying something on her screen, but after a moment she stopped pointing and clicking, and looked up.

"Coming to tell me how stupid I am?" Blue eyes gave her a direct stare.

Tori felt her heartbeat pick up, as she heard the tension in Jade's voice. "Have I ever said that?" She asked quietly, meeting Jade's gaze with patient honesty. "I don't think you're capable of being stupid."

Jade glanced at the screen, moving her hand restlessly.

Tori sat down on the couch, and rested her forearms on her knees. "I could question your faith in my abilities, of course."

"Don't." Jade snapped. "This has nothing to do with you."

"Excuse me." Tori gave her a direct look. "You are sending my people into that place, it most certainly does have everything to do with me." She pushed herself to her feet and advanced on the desk. "I know how to supervise a security sweep, Jade. I've been doing it for months. "

Jade avoided her gaze. "This is different."

Tori studied her. "Your father was right. You should stay here." Her voice gentled, to remove any sting. "You're too close to this, Jade."

Her wife drew a forceful breath and stiffened. "That's bullshit." She tipped her head back as Tori rounded the desk and confronted her. "I'm perfectly capable of doing my job, thanks."

"No one is debating that." Tori sat on the edge of the desk, realizing by the defensive tensing of Jade's muscles that looming over her wasn't a good idea. "But this is different, Jade. Think about it. You grew up at this place. These people are your friends." She put out a tentative hand and covered the larger one resting on the desktop. "I don't know if I could handle it if it were me."

Jade's face kept it's set expression for a moment, then the jaw muscles relaxed slightly, and she blinked. "Because I did grow up there is why I have to do this." She answered softly. "It's not that I don't trust you." Her eyes flicked up to meet Tori's. "But I can't give you what I know, how I know the way things work there."

Tori studied her wife's face, seeing the pain etched into the tense lines around her eyes. "I've seen the layout, honey. It's just a big complex system." She protested. "I know how to get it locked down."

"It's not that." Jade answered. "I just don't want to take a chance. Too many people can get hurt."

"What about you taking a chance on yourself?" Tori countered. "I don't want to see you get hurt, Jade." Slowly, she slid off the desk and knelt, looking up now into Jade's face. "Nothing is more important to me than that. Not this job, not that base… it's not worth the risk."

A faint smile finally tugged at Jade's lips. "Don't worry."

'Jade…."

"You'll be right there next to me." Jade touched Tori's cheek with her fingertips. "The only muscle I'm going to be using is this one." She lifted a hand and tapped her forehead. "I promise."

She wasn't going to win this one, Tori knew. She was also smart enough to realize that what Jade was saying was completely true - they'd have a much better chance of not missing anything with her there. "Okay." She agreed. "You should take the rest of your drugs though, even if you don't want the painkillers."

Jade's face took on a wry smile. "I do want them." She sighed, and leaned back, relaxing a little now that the fight was over. "I want to take them, and lie down and just go out for the rest of the day." Her body felt stiff and achy, and the tension had given her a headache again. "But yeah, if you wouldn't mind bringing them over, I'll take everything but those, and some Advil."

Tori nodded. "Sure." She leaned forward and kissed Jade's knee. "Sinjin and the rest of the team are going to meet us at the office in an hour. "

"Sinjin?"

"Of course. " The blond woman smiled. "You said you wanted volunteers."

Jade sighed. "Figures he would. I wonder if anyone else will?"

Wonder if anyone else won't. Tori amended silently.