Tired of being stared at by his agents, Gibbs sent them home. He had calls to make and they could talk about him freely if they weren't here. As they filed out, he dialed a long familiar number.
"Fornell." The voice on the other line answered.
"Tobias, its Gibbs. I need some information..."
"On the dead terrorist you beat my team to?"
"That would be the one."
"All I've found so far is that he was willing to be an informant. I'll see what else I can turn up and let you know."
"Tobias..." Gibbs paused. Fornell waited and Gibbs said, "Thanks."
Laughing Fornell said, "I'll be expecting a return favor for this."
"I didn't expect any different."
Gibbs ended the call and sat staring at the information in front of him. He hated passing this off but they deserved to be told in person.
-------
Tony and Abby walked with Carly to the parking garage. "Are you sure you won't come with us?" Tony asked her.
"I'm not that hungry guys. Mainly tired these days. I'm going to the apartment and crashing for the night."
Watching in concern until she drove away, Abby and Tony reached for their cell-phones as they reached to open their car doors. By the time they arrived at Sal's, they managed to assemble the whole team, minus Gibbs and Carly of course.
-------
Gibbs picked up the phone and dialed the number from the missing person's bulletin. A police officer answered and Gibbs quietly told him what had happened. Explaining that the body would be released once all the proper paperwork was completed, the officer thanked Gibbs and assured him that he would tell the family face-to-face. Before ending the call Gibbs told the officer he would get the people responsible for taking this young woman's life. Hearing the disbelief in the officer's voice, he made a vow to himself that he would call the parents once he had nailed the bastard that killed her.
-------
Sal was sitting at the table beside Lacey. Once he had been told what they were meeting about, he had joined in the discussion as well. Lacey twirled her pasta with her fork and told everyone, "I stopped by the apartment before heading out here and Carly was already getting into bed. I have never seen her this depressed and I have seen her hit some lows."
Tony and Abby shared a look knowing that the pregnancy was also making her very tired.
"Jethro won't talk to me about her at all." Ducky told them.
Abby slapped her hand against the table. "It doesn't matter if they won't talk to us! We have to get them talking to each other. If they could just talk they'd sort out this whole mess."
Tony took her hand and McGee spoke up. "When you're around Gibbs what do you get from him?"
Surprised but relieved that the rest of the team had accepted her and Carly's different abilities, Abby answered, "He's sad. And frustrated but he won't talk to her. And Carly isn't going to break the ice first. Not unless they are forced together."
"So why can't we arrange that?" Michelle asked and grinned when everyone looked at her in shock. "Come on guys, you rub off on people. Seriously though, why can't we get them together somewhere?"
"The only place Gibbs gets stuck is the elevator and that's by his choice." Palmer pointed out.
Ziva grinned. "So if they are both in the elevator, can we stop it?"
Abby looked at Tony then at McGee. "I would need some help knowing when they are both going to be in the elevator."
"I think I can arrange that." Ducky said and Sal laughed at the smiles on everyone's faces.
"I don't know why I sat down, you have enough genius here that I'm not needed." He said and stood to go back to the kitchen.
With a plan in mind, they finished their meals and said a quick goodbye to Sal before heading out.
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