Kira McKensie was ducked down behind a Jeep Cherokee, holding her Sig Sauer ready. Glad she was wearing her vest under her shirt, she kept down until the shots stopped. Popping up quickly, she squeezed off three rounds and dropped back down. Damn it. She knew this day was going to go bad when she woke up this morning. Two more shots were fired in her direction and she heard running. Moving quickly, she ran to the next car to get a better visual. As she reached the front passenger door, she was struck in the chest. Out of breath, Kira looked down, seeing the hole in her shirt and the bullet lodged in her vest. She was just about to take aim at her target when she was shot again. Feeling dizzy, she looked down again and saw the blood. She had been hit. Shot through her vest.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tony was working late, finishing up paperwork. Or so it appeared. McGee and Ziva were staring at him, and he could tell they were wondering why he was still here at 1900. He read through the packet of papers again. Knowing this day would come didn't make it easier for him to accept. He couldn't believe it had been six years already. His phone rang as he picked up his pen.

"DiNozzo."

"Anthony DiNozzo?" The voice on the other end of the line asked.

"Yes, this is he. Who is this?"

"Mr. DiNozzo, I'm sorry to be calling like this, but your wife has been shot in the line of duty sir. She's been taken to Maryland General. They have her in surgery right now."

"I'm on my way." Tony said and ended the call.

He rushed out not bothering to put away the divorce papers on his desk.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Cutting the 46 minute drive down to thirty, Tony was surprised that there weren't any cops following him. Pulling into the hospital parking lot, he quickly shut off the engine and ran inside. He was about to ask for Kira at the desk when he spotted Detective Ramirez down the hall.

"Mark!" Tony called out.

"DiNozzo? What are you doing here?"

"Kira. Where is she and what happened?"

"You know Kira?" Mark asked then shook his head. "I probably don't want to know. She was involved in a drug bust. There was a shoot out and she got hit in the chest. She's still in surgery, but the doctors are optimistic that she'll recover 100%."

"Where is she?" Tony asked again.

"Come on. Captain's upstairs, I'll take you to him."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

In surgical waiting, Tony shook Captain Marsden's hand and asked, "How was she hit in the chest? Wasn't she wearing a vest?"

"She was." The Captain confirmed.

"Then how the hell did she get hit?" Tony demanded.

"Long range shot, DiNozzo, with a .30-06. It went right through. Only thing that saved her was she moved preparing to shoot again."

One of the doctors walked out and asked, "Family of Kira McKensie?"

Tony stepped forward and said, "I'm her husband. Please, how is she?"

Ziva and Tim were puzzled over Tony's quick exit and wondering what made him rush out like that. Walking over to his desk, Ziva looked at McGee.

"Whatever's on his desk is fair turkey right?"

"Ah, that's fair game, Ziva." McGee corrected, sitting back in his chair. "It's what he does to us."

Ziva shuffled through the work reports and came to the paperwork clipped to an envelope. "Divorce papers?" She said in shock.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rushing into Abby's Lab, Ziva and McGee stood anxiously waiting for her to ask them what was going on. Finally she turned to them.

"Ok, spill." Abby said.

"Tony's married!" They said together.

"No he's not. Tony's not the type…" Abby read the papers thrust in front of her.

Without a word, she turned to the computer and typed Kira McKensie in the search engine she pulled up.

"Hmmmmm." She said as she skimmed the info.

"What?" Ziva asked.

"She's young and she works for Baltimore PD. Oh no." Abby said.

"What?" McGee shouted.

"She was shot today. She's listed as wounded in action on the PD duty roster."

Looking at each other, the three ran out the lab to find Tony.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"She lost a fair amount of blood, Mr. DiNozzo. We gave her a transfusion and repaired the damage to her lung. We've recovered the bullet and turned it over to the police. Your wife is in recovery at the moment, but as soon as we have her in a room, you can go in." Dr. Brooks explained.

"Thank you, Doctor." Tony said and visibly relaxed.

He looked blindly around the room and sat down. Ramirez moved to question his claim but the Captain caught his arm. Shaking his head, they walked a ways down the hall, leaving Tony alone.

Within the hour the motley three arrived at Maryland General. The receptionist stared at Abby while Ziva asked for Kira's room number. They were told she was still in recovery only after they showed their badges. Making their way to surgical waiting, they stopped in the middle of the hall when they saw Tony sitting with his head in his hands. Abby broke the ice, running up to him and wrapping him in a bear hug.

He looked up surprised that they found him. "How did you know?"

"We snooped. How long have you been married Tony?" Abby asked.

Standing up from the plastic chair Tony answered, "Six years."

"Six years!" Abby exclaimed. "But that would make Kira 17 when you got married! I knew you liked them young but I had no idea."

Tony leveled his best Gibbs stare at Abby and her smile slipped. "It wasn't like that Abs. She was in trouble and needed help."

"And you were just the man to help, I take it?" McGee asked and got the same look turned on him. "So how is she?" He asked to change the subject.

Tony looked at his three closest friends, realizing just how close they all really were, and answered, "The doctors expect her to make a full recovery, but she was hit in the chest. They had to repair her lung and she's going to be sedated and on a respirator for at least a day or two to let her body rest. I won't know anything for sure until she wakes up."

"She wasn't wearing a vest?" Ziva asked.

"She was wearing a vest. She was shot by a .30-06 and it went clean through. Her Captain said if she hadn't moved she would have been dead." Tony got quiet as he finished and he sat back down.

Abby nodded and walked a few paces away. "I'm going to the department and see if they mind sharing their evidence. I'll find out what's going on here, Tony."

Ziva looked at the two men and Abby and decided to help out as well. "I'll see if they need any help. We don't have a case to work right now and I'll clear it with Gibbs so that we can help out."

Tony nodded his thanks and then realized he had never told his boss about having a wife, either.

Gibbs was sanding his boat when his phone rang. Tempted to drop the thing in a jar of paint thinner, he checked the caller ID and saw it was Ziva calling.

"Gibbs."

"Gibbs, we have a situation." Ziva started.

"What have we got?" He questioned, ready to get to work.

"It's not NCIS, it's civilian. Tony is married to a cop from Baltimore and she was wounded today. Abby and I want to lend a hand to the locals since we don't have an active case and McGee is at the hospital with Tony for now."

"Ok. That's fine with me. What hospital is she in?" Gibbs wanted to know.

Ziva paused and Gibbs knew she was wondering why he didn't act surprised that Tony was married. "Maryland General. We just left and she was still in recovery."

Making a mental note of that, Gibbs told her, "Get to work. Report back to me what you find out."

"Ok, Gibbs, will do."

Ending the call, Gibbs sat down on the stool in his basement. Yes, he knew Tony was married. He knew the length of the time he had been married and the reasons behind it, but Tony didn't know he knew. He also knew that he needed to get to his agent's side to support him but he needed a moment. A moment to gather his thoughts. A moment to let the pain in his heart settle. He remembered when he learned his wife and daughter were dead. Tony had to be going through something similar to that and Gibbs had to get his "face" back on before he left or he wouldn't be able to hold it together if Tony fell apart.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tim was sitting quietly beside Tony not knowing what to say or do. Tony shifted in his chair, uncomfortable as ever in a hospital seat, and looked over. "What do you want to know Tim?"

Thrown that Tony had called him by his first name, Tim sat for a moment thinking of every cheap shot he had taken over the years from his friend. Knowing now wasn't the time, Tim asked, "How did you meet her?"

Thinking back to that hot day seven years ago, he began.

Flashback

End Flashback

"Her parents were murdered?" Tim asked, shocked. "Who killed them?"

"Hit man. It was paid for by her uncle but there wasn't enough evidence to connect him to it. By the time the investigation was over and child services was ready to let him have custody, she was 17. We had kept in touch through the course of the investigation and the only way or the least expensive way to keep her out of his clutches was for her to get married. Her legal guardian at the time was her foster mother. She was also worried what would happen to Kira when her uncle gained custody so she agreed to consent to the marriage."

Tony paused and looked at Tim. "The judge thought I was a pervert, but I didn't care. I had to keep her safe and marrying her did that. It permanently took away any hopes her uncle had of getting his hands on her money."

"Why didn't you ever tell us?" Tim asked.

"We agreed in the beginning to stay married until she finished college. Then things just got in the way. We've had grounds for a no-contest divorce for years, but neither of us has filed until now."

"All those women you dated?" Tim had to know. "Did she know about them?"

"Did she know about all of them? No. Did she know I wasn't a monk? Yes. We've had our own lives Tim, we've just had a piece of paper that made us legal to protect her."

Nodding, Tim replied, "Ok. So now what are you going to do? Will you sign the papers now that you've been seeing Jeanne?"

"I don't know, McGee. I just don't know right now." Tony said and slumped down in the chair to wait for the doctor.

The precinct was a madhouse when Abby and Ziva walked in and talked to the Sergeant at the front desk. They asked to speak with Captain Marsden and were shown to his office. They introduced themselves and the Captain invited them to sit.

"How can I help you two?" he asked.

"Actually, Captain, we'd like to help you. I'm a forensics scientist and there's nothing about ballistics I don't know. Ziva is a trained investigator with special skills we won't go into today. We'd like to help with the investigation of Kira McKensie's shooting."

"NCIS? You work with Tony." The Captain stated.

"Yes, we do. We can help you with this case." Ziva told him.

Studying the two women across from him and looking at the departments case load, he picked up the phone and called Detective Ramirez into his office. Mark walked in and looked from his Captain to the two women sitting in the chairs.

"Yes sir?" Mark questioned.

"Take Ms. Sciuto here to the lab and tell Robbie that she'll be helping with the evidence on Kira's shooting. Then walk Officer David through what we have so far. They will be helping us on this investigation." Captain Marsden informed him.

Not wanting to question the Captain in front of two women he had never met, Mark nodded and held the door open for them to go ahead of him.

"It's Abby, by the way. No one calls me Ms. Sciuto unless I'm in court." Abby told him and shook his hand.

"Mark Ramirez, but please call me Mark." He said and turned to Ziva.

"Ziva David." She told him, shaking his hand.

"Ziva." Mark said. "Please, follow me." He turned and led the way through the desks and down several halls to get to the lab.

Stepping through the door, he waved his hands to get Robbie's attention. The lab tech turned his music down and turned to Mark.

"Robbie, this is Abby Sciuto. She's going to be helping you with the evidence from Kira's case." Mark told him.

Abby and Robbie sized each other up, recognizing in each a kindred spirit. "Come on in. I'll show you what we've got." Robbie said.

Leaving them to their work, Mark led Ziva back to his desk. "This is what we've got so far."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Gibbs arrived at the hospital, Kira was just being moved to a bed in ICU and Tony was waiting to go in to see her.

"DiNozzo!"

"Boss? Who called you?" Tony asked, then remembered that Ziva was going to ok their working the case with Gibbs.

"What have you found out?" Gibbs asked.

Tony filled him in on everything and Gibbs said, "They'll take care of her here, Tony. She's strong, she'll come through this fine."

"Gibbs, you don't have to reassure me. The doctors are hopeful, but I know that these first few days are going to be critical."

Nodding, Gibbs met his gaze and told him, "I've contacted the Director and she has you out on personal leave. Take all the time you need here. We'll find who did this, Tony." Gibbs promised.

At that moment, Tim came up with coffee and the nurse called Tony in to see Kira for a few minutes.

"Tim." Gibbs acknowledged.

"Boss." Tim said and handed him the regular coffee. When Gibbs raised his eyebrows, Tim explained, "You once told me to anticipate and I'll have less work to do. When Ziva told us she was going to call you, I knew you'd be here before long."

With a smile hidden behind his coffee cup, Gibbs told him, "Good work, Tim."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tony stepped into the cubicle and stared at the small woman lying in the hospital bed. He hadn't seen her since she graduated early two years before. Her brown hair was brushed away from her face and her skin was whiter than the sheet she was covered with. He looked at all the machines she was hooked up to and remembered when Gibbs was hurt not that long ago. Kira had called him then. Asking how he was and if there was anything she could do to help them out. Of course, at the time, there was nothing anyone could do but wait, and it was the same this time. He would wait, at her bedside for as long as it took. Even if it meant postponing the work he was doing for the Director.

He sat down beside her bed and took her hand in his. "Kira, it's me, Tony. I'm here, little one. And I'm going to be here until you get better, understand? I'm going to warn you though, according to Ziva and McGee, my conversation skills are limited to movies and TV shows. I think they're wrong, but you can let me know when you wake up. I'm going to be right here as much as the nurses will let me. I'm not going anywhere until you open those blue eyes again."

Finishing his speech, Tony sat in silence just holding her hand and watching the monitors.

The next two days, Tony was as good as his word. He only left Kira's side to shower when Gibbs pointed out to him that Kira wouldn't like to have a smelly man greet her when she woke. Gibbs, McGee, Ziva and Abby worked tirelessly and surprisingly well with the Baltimore police to help find Kira's shooter.

The three agents questioned the witnesses again with Detective Ramirez's assistance. All the accounts were the same except for one. There was a witness that had been filming a family video when the shooting broke out. Only when Ziva talked to them a second time did they remember to show the tape to the investigators. Once they pulled the tape up to the time stamp that Kira was shot, they noticed a blurry figure several blocks down the road. Unfortunately, they couldn't get a clear enough picture of the person to ID him/her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Abby and Robbie nearly lived in the lab the entire time. They were about at their ropes end trying to discover why the bullet penetrated the vest when it was supposed to be a level IV vest, non-penetrable by the .30-06. Frustrated beyond the norm at being let down by her science, Abby requested some of the other officer's vests be brought in for testing. They were all purchased at the same time from the same manufacturer. Abby and Robbie ran a little experiment. All the vests were set away from the line of fire the estimated distance the shooter had been from Kira. Every vest they tested proved to be faulty. They would hold up through one shot, sometimes even two but the next bullet would penetrate.

Finally knowing what had caused the vest to fail, Abby and Robbie turned heads throughout the department as they raced to Captain Marsden's office. Gibbs was in the middle of speaking when he saw the look on Abby's face.

"What have you found Abby?" He asked.

"Robbie and I have been beating our heads against the wall trying to figure out why the vest failed. We tested several of the other vests," Abby told them and turned to the Captain, "and you won't like the results."

"Just tell us what you found Abby." Gibbs repeated.

"They are all faulty. All seven other vests failed after the first or second shot." Abby said in a rush then pressed her lips together to watch their reactions.

"You mean all my officers could be in danger from this?" the Captain asked.

Nodding, Robbie told him, "Yes. And that is what makes Kira's shooting harder to solve. We don't know if someone wanted to kill her or just shoot a cop."

Gibbs stood. "That's what we'll find out." Walking out the door to get Ziva and Tim, he signed to Abby ‘good work'.

Smiling, Abby turned and watched Gibbs walk away.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Canvassing the neighboring houses three blocks from where the shoot-out took place, Gibbs, Ziva and McGee found themselves facing people unwilling to open their doors even for Federal Agents. Angered at the lack of co-operation, Ziva pounded on the last door, demanding they open up or she would come in anyway. A small, elderly lady answered the door and looked at Ziva through her glasses.

"Missy, if you want to talk to me, you'll have to find your manners real quick!" was the sharp retort that met Ziva's surprised look.

Flustered for a moment, Ziva quickly composed herself and apologized.

With a short nod, the woman looked her up and down again. "That's better. Now, what can I help you with today?"

Explaining what she was there for, Ziva showed the woman pictures of both Kira and the grainy gunman from the video.

"Well, I don't know about her," the lady said pointing at Kira's picture, "but this one was right outside my house two days ago. Said he was the police, backing up his fellow officers."

"Could you describe him for me?" Ziva asked nicely.

"Sure can. He was tall, like my dear husband was, so about 6'4", I'd say. He was middle-aged, probably in his forties or so. Sandy hair about like your friend's over there. Fit, not overweight, and he handled that .30-06 like he knew what he was doing."

Nodding, Ziva took down the description and before she could ask, the woman told her, "Yes, if I saw him again, I could identify him. I'm old, not blind."

Gibbs turned away to fight his smile and Ziva politely thanked the women and they left to talk with Tony.

After removing the tube and taking Kira off the respirator, the doctor monitored her breathing and her vitals. Satisfied that she was strong enough to be without support, he left her with Tony. Tony was watching her breathing when Gibbs and Ziva walked in. They spoke quietly about what they had found. Ziva gave the man's description to him and Tony's expression grew dark.

"You recognize him?" Gibbs asked.

"It sounds just like her uncle, but why would he try to take her out? He can't profit from it."

"People do strange things everyday for no apparent reason. You should know that by now." Ziva said.

"Find him." Tony demanded.

"We've got McGee running the description." Gibbs told him. "With a possible ID, it will go quicker."

Nodding, Tony turned back to the bed. Ziva patted his shoulder in an awkward attempt to give comfort. He glanced up at her and in that moment, she got a look at the Tony he had been before Kira was shot.

"Thank you all for what you're doing. I'd be out there…"

"You're needed right here." Gibbs told him. "We can take care of what's happening out there as long as you take care of what's in here."

"Thanks, Boss." Tony said and looked back down at Kira.

Gibbs motioned for Ziva to precede him out of the room. He stood watching Tony watch Kira for a moment then he walked out as well.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Did you hear that, little one? Gibbs is on the case. And if there's one thing I know more about than I do movie trivia, it's that Gibbs will find who shot you and why. He's like a dog with a bone that man. He just doesn't give up." Tony was telling Kira.

"Sounds like someone else I know."

Tony's head jerked up so quickly and he still almost missed Kira's eyes open and close.

"Kira?" He asked.

"Mmmmhmmmm" Was her reply. "I thought I'd heard your voice Tony."

"I've been right here the entire time. I have to get a doctor." Tony told her and went to rush out the room.

"Push the button." Kira said, still mostly out of it.

"The button?" Tony asked and then remembered the call button on the bed. "Right, the button." Reaching over her, he pressed the button and waited for the nurse to respond.

"Yes sir?" The nurse asked.

"Kira McKensie is awake."

"I'll send the doctor right in."

While he waited, he took Kira's hand in his once more. "You gave me quite a scare, little one."

Trying to smile through the meds and the pain, Kira said, "You worry too much, Tony."

Laughing, he told her, "I have teammates who would disagree with you."

"They don't know you like I do." Kira told him and for the first time since being shot looked him right in the eyes.

As the doctor walked in, Tony told her, "You may be right."

A week and a half later, the staff at Maryland General was ready to beg Kira's doctor that she be released. Between their patient and her husband, they were bombarded with trivia, bad jokes and pleas for Kira's release. The doctor gave specific instructions on Kira's care and signed the papers.

By the time she was dressed and loaded into Tony's car, Kira was tired again. She dozed for a while and was just waking up when Tony pulled into the parking lot of his apartment building.

"What are we doing here?" She wanted to know.

"You heard the doc. You need someone to look after you."

"Yes, but I can be looked after at my place."

"True, but I can't protect you there if you kick me out. Now, no arguing with me; when you're stronger and we've caught the shooter, I will take you home without protest."

Gritting her teeth, she thought for a moment and then nodded. "Ok. But I'm holding you to your word."

"Deal," he said and helped her out the car and up to his apartment.

They reached his floor and Tony swore under his breath. A woman was sitting in front of his door wearing nurse's scrubs.

"You arranged for a nurse already?" Kira asked.

"Not exactly." Tony replied, clearly uncomfortable.

Understanding dawned. "Oh." Kira said and pulled her arm from Tony's. "Go on. I'll wait here."

Tony looked from one woman to the other and moved down the hall.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Jeanne," he started.

"Don't!" she interrupted. "I haven't heard from you in two weeks. I've been so worried that something had happened to you and I would never know. I've been by here every day hoping for some sign that you're ok only to find you bringing someone else home." Jeanne was angry and indignant.

"It's not what you think."

"Kira!" Tony turned to see that she had walked down the hall on her own.

Waving him off, she faced the other woman. "I'm a cop. I was shot two weeks ago and Tony's been helping me out. He's a good friend."

Jeanne's medical training kicked in. "You were shot? Where? Should you be out already?"

"According to the doctor I was fit to be released."

Jeanne was looking from Kira to Tony and then she said, "She needs to get inside."

Startled out of his shock, Tony pulled out his keys and let them in.

"What is taking so long McGee? It's been two weeks and we still haven't located Troy McKensie. He's not that good." Gibbs fired off as he entered the bullpen.

"We're working on it boss. He disappeared off the radar approximately three and a half years ago and we're tracking him from there." Tim told him, earning a glare from his boss.

"We have found a few hints of activity under his name, but nothing concrete yet Gibbs." Ziva told him.

Abby's excited voice filled the bullpen. "Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs!" She exclaimed.

All eyes turned to the video screen and Gibbs said, "What have you found Abs?"

"Well, as good as McGee and Ziva are with finding information, I didn't think I'd be able to glean anything new from the trails they've already looked at. Then I got a hit on a license from Las Vegas. Guess whose name is on it?"

"Troy McKensie." Gibbs stated, frustrated with another seeming dead end.

"Exactly! However, guess what type of license it is." Abby said with a huge grin on her face.

Tony walked in and asked, "What type of license what is?"

"A license with Troy McKensie's name on it." Ziva told him, bringing him up to speed.

"How's Kira doing, Tony?" Abby asked.

In a warning tone, Gibbs said, "Abs."

"Right." Abby nodded and held her hands up to help emphasize her point. "So, the license from Vegas is a marriage license. Good old Uncle Troy is married. And that's not the most interesting part. His wife is living right here in DC and is a nurse at UNI Hospital."

Tony and McGee paled and looked at each other.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jeanne was fixing some soup for Kira. "How long have you known Tony?"

"Seven years. He was one of the detectives that investigated my parent's murder." Kira told her as she sank down onto the pillows piled on the couch.

"You're parents were murdered? I'm so sorry to hear that." Jeanne told her, glancing over at the young woman in sympathy.

Kira's head bobbed up and down and she told her, "Thank you."

Jeanne hesitated and then pushed forward, "Did they ever get the person or persons responsible?"

"They arrested a hit-man for it, but they never had enough proof to arrest my uncle with him."

Jeanne's jaw clenched and she quickly relaxed it. "Your uncle?"

"The cops believe to this day that my uncle was behind the murders trying to get his hands on my father's inheritance. That theory makes more sense than just a random home invasion gone wrong, you know? The thing I find most sad about it all is that my dad planned on turning over half of the inheritance to Uncle Troy once he was settled down."

Her grip on the bowl was so tight Jeanne had to force herself to let go of it and relax before taking it to Kira. "Oh really?" She asked, deceptively calm.

Kira looked up into Jeanne's eyes and noticed a hint of anger that seemed out of place. Schooling her features, Kira felt her body react in the age-old "fight or flight" readiness.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tony was driving like a madman. Before Abby even mentioned her name, Tony knew that he had left Kira with a woman that could kill her. Cursing himself for how stupidly blind he was, Tony nearly wrecked when Gibbs reached over and smacked him.

"Now isn't the time to blame yourself, DiNozzo. Once Kira is safe, you'll have plenty of time for that." Gibbs told him as the car skidded to a halt outside Tony's apartment building.

Jeanne was standing at the couch looking down at Kira. Kira asked, "How long have you known Tony?"

Forcing a smile, Jeanne set the bowl of soup down and answered, "Just a few months. I was so worried about him these last two weeks. He hasn't really told anyone we were dating and so I didn't know if anyone would tell me anything if I called his work."

Watching Jeanne move around the room, Kira responded, "I can see how awful that must have been for you. The least he could have done was call."

"That's true. But he was looking out for a friend. I can't fault him for that now can I?"

Kira looked down but kept Jeanne in her peripheral vision. "I guess not."

Kira's gut was sending out a very insistent message and she knew she had to listen to it. Just as she was about to stand, the front door flew open. Tony, Gibbs, Ziva and McGee came in, guns drawn and directed straight at Jeanne. Amazingly enough, Jeanne looked genuinely shocked.

"Tony! What on earth are you doing?"

Moving quickly, Tony separated Jeanne from Kira. "Why didn't you tell me you were married Jeanne?" He asked her without putting his weapon down.

Narrowing her eyes, Jeanne all but spat at him, "Probably for the same reason you didn't tell me you were married!"

Shaking his head, Tony contradicted her. "I didn't tell you because Kira and I are getting a divorce." When her eyes widened, Tony smirked. "That's right, Ms. Bennoit, all your work would have been for naught. I wasn't asking for anything in the divorce and in the event of Kira's death all her money goes to various charitable institutions."

Truly angered now, Jeanne moved closer to him. "That money should have been Troy's! He was the perfect son! He was the favored one!"

Kira stood and looked passed Tony at the woman that, under different circumstances, she would be calling Aunt. "Those might have been true in the past, Ms. Bennoit, but not at the time of my grandfather's death. I remember it. I remember my grandfather telling everyone who would listen that Troy needed to grow up before he inherited anything. Not wanting to set a time period for it, he left the when and where of the distribution to my father. If Troy had been a little more patient, the money would have been his."

Jeanne lunged at Kira but Tony blocked her way. "You smug little bitch. You liked seeing him without a penny to his name, didn't you?"

Her rage had blinded her to the fact that Tony had her cuffed. "No, Jeanne, you're wrong. I never wanted anyone to suffer. Troy just never had the patience or the ability to wait and stand in line for something. Even as a child I knew that. Apparently it's gotten worse over the years."

DC cops came in at that moment and detained Jeanne for questioning in the shooting of Officer McKensie. The soup was sent to Abby's lab for testing and once the results came back, Kira was glad she had done nothing more than smell the soup. Small traces of a poison were found. It was a type of poison that would mimic a natural death without strenuous testing. So the cops arrested Jeanne for attempted murder.

No matter how many times or people asked, Jeanne wouldn't give up her husband's location. Tony walked into the bedroom to find Kira putting her clothes back in her bag.

"Where do you think you're going?" He wanted to know.

"Look, Tony, you don't need me here as a constant reminder of what happened. I'm going to go home and work on getting back to 100%."

"But what about the shooter? We still don't have him."

"Tony, I don't want to make you uncomfortable." Kira told him, trying once again to ease out of his life.

"You don't make me uncomfortable. The only way you'd make me uncomfortable is to make me sleep in the hall in front of your apartment back in Baltimore." He grinned and walked over as he told her this. Tony reached out and lifted her chin. "I promised to look after you and your need for protection isn't over yet."

Tony and Kira settled into a routine. Tony cooked breakfast surprisingly well and did so every morning for the two weeks following Jeanne's arrest. Kira fixed lunch for herself and then dinner for the two of them. Some nights, Abby or Ziva would come over and have dinner with them. McGee had even been over once. Kira had noticed that Abby was bothered by something, but the other woman hadn't gotten close enough to her to talk about what was on her mind. When Kira asked Tony, he admitted he didn't know what was bothering his friend. He decided to ask Abby about it if things didn't change.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The man answered the knock at his door and smiled down at the dark-haired beauty in front of him.

"Abby! I haven't seen you in forever."

"Hi Brad!" Abby said trying to be perky.

His expression clouding, Brad asked, "What's got you so down, Abby-girl?"

With a huge sigh, Abby launched herself into his arms. "Whoa, whoa, whoa." He said. "Abby what's wrong?"

"I need you tonight, Brad." Abby said and looked into his eyes.

Brad stared down at the woman in his arms and knew he wasn't who she needed. "Abby," he said with a small smile, "I'd give anything if I was the one you needed, but I know I'm not."

"Brad…"

"No, Abby-girl. I'm not who you need." With a small kiss on her forehead, Brad sent her away from him easily. "Go see him. Go tell him what you need."

With a small frown and a look of uncertainty, Abby made up her mind. Nodding, she grabbed Brad in a quick hug. "You're right. Thanks for being a good friend."

"Any time, Abby-girl, anytime." Brad said and watched as she ran back to her car.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nervously waiting on the front porch, Abby was beginning to wonder if he had heard her knock. Finally, she heard the locks click and the door opened. There he stood.

"Abs?" Gibbs asked looking quite concerned to find her on his doorstep this late at night.

Walking past him into the house, Abby paced around his living room.

"Is everything ok?" He wanted to know.

"No, it's not ok." Abby started and once she spoke, she couldn't stop speaking. "I know this might be wrong or inappropriate or something and that you have your rules. Especially Rule 12, I mean what where you thinking when you made that rule? When you live at work like we do, who has time to find someone outside of work? I mean, Tony obviously did, but that was before he met you. So come on, that doesn't count right? And you hooked up with the director at some point, everyone can see that." She glared at him when she mentioned that fact. "But for the rest of us? No! No getting involved with people we work with, no getting involved while at work."

More confused than clear on things, Gibbs watched as his Abby kept pacing. She had a hurt look on her face and he wanted to make that go away. He needed to make that look go away.

"What has McGee done this time, Abby?" Gibbs asked and immediately knew that was the wrong thing to say.

"McGee? You think I came all the way over here for McGee? If that was the case, I could take care of things on my own. McGee!" She ended, starting to mutter to herself.

Gibbs walked over and turned her to face him. "Abs, just tell me what's wrong and I'll fix it."

Abby finally was silent. She stared up at him and he was afraid of what he thought he saw in her eyes. Ready to step back, he was startled when Abby launched herself at him. He caught her and damn near dropped her when he felt her lips on his. She was kissing him! Abby … was … kissing … him! And he was standing there like an idiot! Quickly taking her face in his hands, he took control of the kiss, deepening it. His tongue warred with hers for dominance and neither of them won or lost.

He felt Abby's magic hands run up under his shirt. When she reached his chest, her clever fingers sought out his nipples and pinched them making him break contact with her mouth and stare down at her. Her smile was that of a seductress, weaving her spell over him. She tugged his shirt up over his head and he grinned.

Abby was wearing a snug black t-shirt and Gibbs pulled it off, staring at her perfection. His eyes rose to her's and smiling, she signed ‘I'm sure' in answer to the question in his gaze. His head dipped down and he took possession of her lips and his hand molded and cupped her breasts, learning the body of the woman he had wanted for so long.

With just those simple caresses and the fact that she had been waiting for him to touch her like this for ages, Abby was on fire. She hurriedly undressed him and helped him get her own clothes off. They fell onto the couch and she heard Gibbs murmur, "Next time, Abby, next time we'll be in bed."

She was so lost in what he was making her feel she couldn't tell him that she didn't care where they were as long as he didn't stop. All she could articulate were moans and whimpers. Finally, Gibbs was touching her. Finally, Gibbs was inside her, surrounding her, filling her, absorbing her and she broke from all the sensations he caused. With a shout, Gibbs followed her over the edge into bliss and sank down onto her on his couch.

Kira was in the middle of packing once again when Tony came home. He saw what she was doing and he let his temper get the best of him.

"What are you doing?" He asked loudly.

With a patient look, Kira replied, "Packing."

"Why?" He wanted to know.

"Tony, I can't stay on medical leave forever. I have a job to get back to. I can't hide any longer either. If Uncle Troy is going to come after me, he's already shown how patient he can be." Kira zipped her suitcase shut and stood it up. "I have to return to my life. I can't play house anymore."

Alarmed at the feelings going through him, Tony had to ask, "What if we stop playing?"

Confused, Kira stared at the man who meant so much to her. "What are you talking about Tony? You don't want to be married to anyone."

Shaking his head in denial, Tony stepped closer to her. "I don't want to be married to anyone other than you."

"Now you're talking crazy. The Tony I know doesn't want to be tied down to just one woman." She said as she started to walk past him.

He took her arm and turned her to look at him. "And here I thought you knew me better than most."

Wrinkling her brow, she told him, "I do know … mmpf."

He stopped her talking with a kiss. A long, slow kiss that teased her senses and set her reeling. It was no fair that a man that damn handsome be such a great kisser too. Kira melted against him and kissed him back. Her fervent response seemed to trigger an equally impassioned reaction from Tony. His tongue slipped into her mouth smoothly and he pulled her fully against him. Careful still of her wound, he slid one hand up from her hip until he was cupping her breast, gently squeezing. Kira gasped and Tony growled at her response. "Kira."

The sound of his voice brought her back to reality somewhat and she tried to push away. His arm tightened around her waist and she whimpered as he changed the angle of his assault on her mouth and senses. Tearing away from the kiss was difficult, but Kira did and said, "Tony wait!"

The urgency in her voice brought him around. He eased his hold on her and started to apologize for holding her so tightly. Kira grabbed his hand and shook her head before he could get the words out. "You didn't hurt me Tony. I was just overwhelmed."

Groaning at her honesty, he tried to pull her in for another kiss.

"Tony, please, I have to tell you something." Kira said, looking at him and he saw the insecurity in her eyes.

"Whatever it is, Kira, I will understand." Tony told her and they both realized he still had her breast cupped in his hand. He dropped it when she looked down and Kira took a deep breath.

In a small voice, she admitted, "I've never had sex before."

Closing his eyes to hide how pleased that made him, Tony asked her, "Why not?"

When she said nothing, he opened his eyes and looked at her. She had stepped away from him and was looking down. "Kira, I'm not judging you. I would just like to know why."

She bit her lip and looked over at him. "It's complicated, Tony."

"So start at the beginning." He said patiently.

"I was 17 when we got married. I finished high school and pushed through college as fast as I could. Then I joined the police department. I had a goal and I focused on it. Telling everyone I went to school with that I was married made sure that they left me alone so I could stay focused. Once I joined the department, I just brushed it off whenever anyone asked me out."

Hearing her explanation, Tony was struck by the fact that while his life had gone on parts of Kira's hadn't. "You haven't dated anyone either?"

Shaking her head she turned away from him. Tony walked in front of her and stared into eyes that were filled with embarrassment from the confessions she had made. Touching her cheek gently, he ran his finger down the side of her face and smiled when she moved her head to stay in contact with him.

"So we'll take it slow." He told her and watched her eyes widen. "Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?"

She stared at him as a slow smile spread across her face. "I would like that."

Relieved beyond words, Tony smiled back. "I'll let you get ready then."

He walked out the bedroom and closed the door behind him, feeling happier than he had in a long time.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kira looked around the bedroom and then down at the jeans and t-shirt she was wearing. She hadn't had a reason to pack anything much more than this type of clothes but she did have a nice shirt that would dress up her jeans and her black boots would be a nice touch. Quickly, she found the shirt and was glad that it wasn't wrinkled from being packed away. She slipped out of her t-shirt and quickly changed into the green shirt and boots. Checking her reflection in the mirror, she saw that she was flushed from excitement and didn't need any added color to her face. With a quick swipe of lip-gloss, she brushed her hair back away from her face and walked out into the living room. Tony was hanging up the phone and turned around when he heard the door shut. Whatever he had been about to say seemed to die on his lips as he stared at her.

Shrugging her shoulders, uncomfortable under his look, she explained, "This is the dressiest I have."

When he smiled, she relaxed. "It's perfect." He told her.

He took her hand and led her out the door to their very first date.

"Baltimore PD, Officer McKensie speaking." Kira said as she answered her phone, still typing her report.

"Kira!"

Smiling as she sent her report to the Captain, Kira replied, "Hi Abby! How are you?"

"I'm good! Listen, we're all getting together tomorrow night for Ducky's birthday. Tony was going to call you about it but they have a new case and he's still running errands for the director. So, I thought I'd call and see if you'd be able to make it."

Laughing at how fast Abby talked, she said, "Sure. I'm free tomorrow night and I'd love to help celebrate Ducky's birthday. What time?"

"Well, with work and the case, I think maybe 2100. That should give us time to have things wrapped up."

"I'll be there Abby."

"Oh, is there anything you want me to tell Tony?"

Laughing again, she replied, "Tell him I'll see him tomorrow."

"Will do. See you tomorrow Kira!" Abby said and they ended the call.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next evening, Gibbs called Ducky up to the bullpen on the pretense of asking him questions on the case. When the elevator doors opened, everyone yelled "SURPRISE!"

Ducky blinked and smiled. "My goodness! All this for me?"

Abby bounced over to him. "Yep." She hugged him tight and told him, "Happy Birthday, Ducky!"

Gibbs put his hand on his shoulder and said with a smile, "Happy Birthday, Duck."

After everyone had hugged him, the Director brought the cake out and they all sang "Happy Birthday". Ducky couldn't seem to stop smiling. He blew out the candles on his cake and as Ziva cut slices for everyone, Tony stepped forward and handed him a gift.

Ducky looked down at it and back up at the young agent. Tony told him, "It's from all of us, Ducky."

Abby could barely stand still and Kira was watching it all with a smile. Ducky opened the package to find a leather journal inside. Along side the journal was a digital voice recorder. Smiling, Ducky said, "Should I even ask what all this is for?"

McGee turned red and told him, "You have very interesting stories Ducky. We don't always have the time to hear them when we're working…"

"But we thought you might like to write them down." Abby finished.

Ziva took the gift from him while handing him a piece of cake and glaring at Tim. "Who knows, Ducky? You might even decide to have them published one day."

McGee looked away from Ziva's hard stare and quickly handed out the drinks. Kira had watched this all with amusement, enjoying the camaraderie they all shared, even while giving McGee a hard time about his book. She walked over to Ducky and handed him a package. He looked from it to her and back again.

"I know I haven't known you that long Ducky, but you are a very wonderful man. I hope you like it."

Setting his cake aside, he opened the present to find another leather book. This one filled up with stories, myths and legends from Europe and Asia. Ducky looked up at Kira and noticed the twinkle in her eye. Hugging him to her, she whispered, "If you ever run out of your own stories, these might come in handy."

Ducky laughed and hugged the young woman close. Smiling as he released her, he told her, "You are a jewel, Kira McKensie, a true jewel."

Smiling and joking, they all ate their cake and had a wonderful time. And just once, Ducky was able to tell a whole story without anyone running out on him.

Abby walked into the bullpen to find everyone gone except Gibbs. She propped herself on the corner of his desk and stretched her legs out beside his chair. She hadn't had a moment alone with him since she stopped by his house that night and she was almost ready to pull him to the floor at work. She had it bad and she knew it. Question was, did Gibbs have it bad too?

"Burning the midnight oil I see." She said and shifted to get closer to him.

"Not quite midnight yet, Abs. Besides, you're still here." Gibbs replied, typing slowing on his computer. When a message blinked telling him he had incorrectly queried the search engine, he cursed under his breath.

"What are you trying to find?" Abby asked and looked at the notepad on his desk. Recognizing the case information, she stood up and put her arms around his to type for him. She did this all the time with McGee and Tony but with Gibbs it was different. She had to retype the query three times just to get it right.

When the information popped up, she turned slightly to look at him. "Is this what you needed?" She asked.

"Yes." Gibbs nearly growled and clicked print so he could take the files home and read over them again.

Standing up, Abby rounded his desk until she was on the opposite side. "Well, I just came up to see if anyone was still here."

Gibbs gathered his things and asked, "What do you remember off the top of your head about this case, Abs?"

"There wasn't much forensic evidence at all." She told him and walked with him towards the elevator. "The bullet was so badly damaged, I couldn't get any striations from it for a match and the only blood at the scene was the vics. No hair samples, no fibers, no unidentified DNA…" She trailed off when she realized he was smiling at her. "What?"

"You're memory amazes me sometimes Abby." He said as they waited for the elevator.

"Really? Well, should I tell you what else I remember?" She started. "I remember your touch, the way your hands held me and caressed me. I remember your kiss and they way your lips found every sensitive spot on my body. I also remember you promising a next time and a bed."

When she finished speaking, Gibbs eyes had darkened and his nostrils flared with his breathing. The elevator doors opened and he stepped in. She stood there watching him and he reached out, grabbed her arm and hauled her into the elevator with him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Gibbs couldn't get home fast enough. He had stopped Abby from speaking by a simple look and she was sitting quietly in the passenger side of the car, which for Abby was a big deal. He kept looking at her and thinking that while he was a bastard, he was a lucky one. He barely had the car in park before he shut the engine off. He came around to open Abby's door, thankful that she remembered to get the case file out of the car. Cold case or not, it was a pending investigation and it wouldn't do for someone to break in and take it.

He managed to get inside the house and put the file on the coffee table before he scooped Abby up and carried her to his bedroom. Setting her back down, he took her face in his hands and kissed her deeply. Feeling her response and how she held him tightly drove him on. Her hair was still up in her usual pigtails, which left her neck bare save for her studded collar. His fingers searched and found the clasp and released it. Dropping the collar onto his dresser, he continued kissing her while slowly undressing her. He picked her up again to lay her on the bed and stood before her, watching her watch him.

"Undress for me." She said quietly and he could not deny her request. He quickly unbuttoned his shirt but she signed 'slower' to him and he took a breath to collect himself. Seeing her reaction as he slipped off his shirt almost made him drop to his knees. She was so expressive in her looks and she was enjoying watching him. His hands went to the button on his dress pants and suddenly Abby was there. She took over, kissing him while undressing him the rest of the way. When he was totally naked, she sat back on her heels, staring at him. He signed to her and she smiled at him.

She lifted her hands to take down her hair and when she shook it out, he pushed her back down on the bed. Covering her with his body, he began kissing her lips and working his way down. He quickly found himself in a different position as Abby flipped him over onto his back and took her time learning the contours of his body with her mouth. By the time she rose above him to ride him, he was almost out of control. He watched Abby smile; this was a night he'd never forget.

Tony was sitting at his desk, once again getting caught up on paperwork. He was picking Kira up in two hours for dinner. He smiled. Over the past month, they had talked about her transferring to the DCPD and she was talking to her Captain today about it. He shifted in his seat thinking about how Kira had looked on their last date. She had worn blue jeans and they had hugged every curve on her body from the hips down to her knees. A tight-fitting long sleeve t-shirt had topped the outfit off under her coat of course and when she took the coat off, it was all he could do not to take her back to his apartment. They had gone to a sports bar and Kira had amused him by shouting at the officials on the TV and managing to be louder than all the other men in the bar at the same time.

He called Abs to see if she had anything new on the Dobson case. It was actually a cold case that Tony started looking into a few days before and some of the evidence collected hadn't been tested because they hadn't had the means to do it at that time. When she picked up the phone, she sounded out of breath.

"Abby? Everything ok down there?" He asked.

"Yes, Tony, everything's fine. I was just reading an email that made me laugh really hard," she explained.

He was skeptical but let it go. He had a date to get to. "Have you gotten any results on those fibers yet?"

"Not yet, but when I do, you'll be the first to know." She promised.

"Sounds good to me. Have a good night." He said and hung up the phone.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Abby turned around. "You ignoring your own rules nearly got us caught!" She said grinning.

Gibbs smiled and kissed her again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tony arrived at Kira's apartment a few minutes early. She answered the door with her shoes in her hand. She smiled and told him, "Come on in. Just give me a few minutes and I'll be ready to go."

She turned away from the door, bending to sit her shoes on the floor. When she noticed Tony hadn't moved she looked over her shoulder at him. He was staring at her dress. "Is something wrong, Tony?"

He shook his head and walked in shut the door. "You look beautiful."

Kira felt her face heat and knew she was bright red but his compliment made her very happy. "You do too." She said and reddened more. "I mean, you look very handsome."

He smiled, taking her in his arms and she was so lost. She rose up to meet his lips as his head came down to her's. Gone was the tenderness of the kisses they had shared recently. This was passion, consuming them, hungry for more. He lifted her off her feet, sweeping her into his arms, moving towards her bedroom. Once inside, he set her back down beside the bed. Kira felt warm all over and she trembled as Tony's hands moved down her back to cup her bum and lift her against him. Breaking the kiss, Tony looked down at her. She didn't know what he was looking for but he must have found it since he kissed her again. She ran her hands up his chest but that wasn't enough. Moving to the buttons, she tried to get them undone but his kiss made it difficult to concentrate. She made a noise in frustration and Tony released her to help. Kissing from her chin down to her neck, he popped every button off his shirt and kissed her lips once more.

Kira's hands mapped Tony's chest and stomach then moved around to his back, drawing him closer to her. She broke from the kiss to draw a breath only to have the breath taken from her when he gently nipped the base of her neck. The sensations that spread through her from that simple bite made her shiver in his arms. She turned her head and nipped at his neck in return and felt him shudder even as he laughed and said, "You're so beautiful, Kira."

Tony's hands went to the zipper on her dress and she stepped closer to kiss him once more. As her dress fell to the floor, Tony's lips left her's and burned a trail down her neck to her chest. Her lace bra joined her dress at their feet and his mouth closed on her nipple, sucking gently on her then turning his head and giving equal attention to the other. He looked down at her and she realized he was staring at her scar. Trying to cover it, she brought her arms up only to grab onto his shoulders as he kissed the pink skin where she had been shot.

"Oh, Tony," she whispered, his mouth and hands touching her everywhere causing her to squirm, trying to get closer to him.

He lifted her and placed her carefully on the center of her bed. His eyes took in every bit of her body and the matching bikini panties she was still wearing. He stripped from the rest of his clothes quickly and joined her on the bed. He was so quick she only got a glimpse of his naked body but that glimpse was worrisome in itself. She tensed slightly and Tony kissed her shoulder, the curve of her neck and her lips. "Relax," he whispered in her ear as his hands moved to help her out of her panties. "It's ok Kira."

"Tony..." she started.

"Shhh." He put his finger to her lips and then kissed her again as if her lips were his lifeline. "Everything's ok."

Her hands pulled his head back to her's and she lost herself in his kiss once more. She was breathless and nearly mindless wanting him by the time he entered her. She stared at him, feeling him fill her. He was being so slow and cautious it drove her crazy and she grabbed his bum to pull him closer. Groaning and smiling, he looked down at her as she came apart in his arms. "TONY!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 16

Five months later......

"DiNozzo!"

"Yeah boss?"

"There's been a murder over on Kentucky Ave. Ride with Detectives Samuels and Branton. Consider your ride along request granted."

Grinning, Kira grabbed her gear, winked at her Captain and ran to catch up with the detectives. They were two of the more experienced detectives and they were the only two detectives that really talked with her since her transfer four months ago. The other detectives had given her a wide berth. They knew who her husband worked for and no one in law enforcement in DC wanted to tangle with Gibbs. Samuels and Branton, they were old school more like Gibbs than anyone in the department realized. Kira loved talking with them and sharing in their experience. Branton had told her just last week that she should go for Detective herself. Honestly, Kira had been thinking about it and wanted to talk to Tony to see what his opinion was. She hopped in the car and sat back and Samuels peeled out of the parking lot, heading for the crime scene.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"DiNozzo!"

"Yeah boss?"

"Get down there and help Ziva process the car that was just brought in."

"On it, boss." Tony said and headed for the elevators. He smiled as the doors closed. Kira had transferred to DC and they were settling in to having only one place. He had a feeling she had something on her mind. He hoped she would talk with him soon, his curiousity was killing him. His smile grew thinking of the look on her face when they went house hunting two weeks ago. They were hoping to hear back from the realtor soon. The doors opened on the elevator and he stepped out. "Ziva, Gibbs sent me down here to help you."

"Good." she said as she stood looking in the back seat. "You can process the inside of the car."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Gibbs stood in the door of the lab watching Abby's fingers fly over the keys. He had stood in this same place many times before and he didn't think he would tire of the sight. Walking up behind her, he wrapped her in his arms and smiled when she jumped, screaming, "Gibbs!"

He turned her around and kissed her lips softly. "Time to go home for the day, Abs. There's nothing here that can't wait until tomorrow."

She gave him a look, smiled and grabbed her bag before saying, "Ok, but if Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs questions why his test results aren't all in, I'm sending him to talk to you."

Gibbs smiled. "You do that, Abs. I'll set him straight."

She laughed as the elevator doors slid closed behind them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~The End~

~Calalily~