Jethro sat at his desk looking through all statements of the parents. He closed the statement of Navy Admiral George Marino, father of Olivia Sola. As he stared at the top of the folder his thoughts went out of the building.
„Hey, bossman. Where's Tony?"
„Not here."
Abby raised her eyebrow, obviously not in the mood for jokes, as most of them.
„He's at his doctor."
„Because he threw up?"
„McGee told you?"
She went around his desk and half sat on it. She lowered her voice to a private level.
„Yeah. He told me that Tony suddenly jumped off his seat and ran off to the restroom. Did he throw up again last night?"
„Why do you think that?"
She sighed annoyed.
„He threw up at four am and was completely fine afterwards. And McGee said you and he suddenly were fine again. So...is Tony pregnant?"
„Abby, what do you think why he's at his doctor? He threw up last night. At four am. Tony's never punctual, but his morning sickness is."
She nodded and watched as Jethro took another file.
„So, was it planned?"
„Partly."
„Partly?"
He sighed and looked at her.
„Tony tried the pill when we married but he didn't took it. So we used condoms. But you know how it goes, sometimes, when things heat up... we are married and if it happened we'd have another child to love. So, we didn't exactly tried to get another one, but we wouldn't mind it either."
„So, you talked about what happened between you?"
What? Was it the „ask uncomfortable question" day?
„Yeah. We both went too far but we're ok now. This case is effecting both of us extremely and we both are on our limits. Did he tell you that he knows one of the girls?"
Abby nodded sadly.
„She's the one last abducted."
Jethro nodded and frowned.
„Isn't it weird? The time frame between the abductions is so..."
„Random? Well, the choice is, too. And if Tony's right and he's collecting the girls he's only taking the right ones. Collectors are really patient."
„Yeah, that's why I never collected anything."
She smiled softly and then patted his shoulder as she stood.
„Tell me if I have to prepare for a new godchild, ok?"
„Sure, Abs, as soon as I know more, we'll tell you."
She went back to her lab, not as bouncy as usual. Jethro rubbed his eyes. More than anything he wanted to go with Tony but it was enough that one of them wasn't there. And since Tony was doing a blood test they would get the result in a few days and not that day. He took a deep breath as he opened the next file. Going through them was nearly completely useless. All parents said more or less the same. They had watched their kids but for a moment and then they were gone.
He shook his head and glanced at his watch. Grapping his coat he stood from his chair.
„Where are you going, boss?"
„I'm heading over to Tony. I need to talk to him. If anything comes up, call me."
With that he left the office. Without any lead there was nothing to do anyway. The drive to the doctor's office he used to rethink the whole collector theory. It had to be some help.
„I'm no profiler, Jethro."
Tony reasoned as they entered the coffee shop near the office. Tony had just been done when Jethro arrived so they drove back and met at the shop.
„And still you had the best ideas so far."
„Well, what Abby said is definitely right. Collectors have a lot of patience, one reason why I never collected anything."
Jethro grinned slightly at Tony's statement.
„Coffee, black."
He ordered as they stepped up to the counter.
„Co...no..."
Tony sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. With a lot of effort he ordered decaf.
„I already hate it that I have to stop coffee and sugar this time."
They took their drinks and went out, slowly walking back to the office.
„So, does this patience thing help us?"
„Not really. All we know is that if we don't find him he'd be able to go on forever...though...He's looking for the perfect ones, right? Well, collectors usually watch the objects they want before they get it. I think that's the fun in it. To see something and knowing that you want it, but you wait for the perfect moment to get it."
They glanced at eachother, thinking exactly the same, and then they moved on.
„I guess it would be the same with our collector, wouldn't it? He's watching the children, always one girl at the time. He's waiting for the opportunity and when it's there, he gets them."
„So, maybe we have to question the parents again. This time not only about the day the girls were abducted but the time between the abduction before and their abduction. Maybe they saw somebody more than once...or maybe they can give us locations with video surveillance and we can check the feed."
Jethro considered as they stepped up to the NCIS building. Before they entered Tony stopped him.
„Jethro, I've been thinking...what do you think he's doing with them?"
„I really don't want to think about that, Tony."
„I think we have to...I keep dreaming the worst situations. When we find him we will find the girls and we will find out what he's doing with them. I don't think he's taking them only to sit them all in a room where they can play tea party."
Jethro took a deep breath and looked up and down the street, nodded to Agents passing them, looking anywhere but at Tony.
„I don't think that either. What were you dreaming?"
Now it was on Tony to avoid his husband's eyes.
„Mostly it's a mixture of former cases. Cut off limps, rape, torture... I don't think we'll find anything of what I've been dreaming, but I don't think it'll be better either. And you've been right. I don't think they're all still alive either. But what's worrying me the most is, that he's probably looking for his next victim."
Jethro nodded darkly and squeezed Tony's hand in reassurance.
„Let's catch him before he can extend his collection."
He softly stroke over his husband's serious face. The smile he loved so much was gone and there was noone taking the pressure of this case off his shoulders. Secretly he was thankful that Tony's possible pregnancy happened just now so they had something else to think about. Otherwise he wasn't so sure they both wouldn't turn crazy over stress and worry.
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