Chapter 19
Ducky knew he and Ziva had lingered for too long and he pushed back into the room slowly. Tim and Tony looked as if they were comfortably relaxed, given the gravity of the evening. “Drinks, my friends?” he asked, including Ziva in the equation.
“Not too much, Duck,” Tim replied, knowing too much alcohol could make Tony even more morose. “We’ve still gotta go upstairs and debrief the directors when they call.”
“Just a sip then, my boys. Are you all right? I know you were quite concerned that Abigail may have come to some harm at the stranger’s hands.”
“Yeah, Ducky. We’re all right. Thanks for cleaning up the stuff. At least for me, I’m still worried for her. Whatever she’s involved in, whoever Jet proves to be, if he’s not good enough for Abby, if he hurts her in any way…” Tim let the threat hang in the air, knowing he didn’t need to expand on it.
“Worried too,” Tony admitted. “But we’re all on her six. That has to count for something.” He looked at McGee, thankful that the other man didn’t make any comments on how vulnerable he’d been. He reached over and rubbed Tim’s shoulder. “You’re not alone.”
“It does count for something, Tony. It counts for everything,” Ziva added, putting her hand on Tim’s other shoulder. Pulling Ducky into the little circle, she added, “That is what makes our team work, what makes us the best. The support, the caring, we do what is needed to be done.”
“Now how do we approach Mike?” Ducky asked quietly. They had all been avoiding the last member of their team"their leader"and what he’d done to the FBI agent but it had to be dealt with.
“I think we allow the director to handle Mike and his actions. For us, we approach him the way we always do, as a team. We continue to work as he has trained us,” Ziva suggested.
“But we don’t support what he has done,” Ducky replied softly. “I find it quite reprehensible that he attacked that man.”
“As do I, Ducky,” Ziva agreed, “As do we all.” Looking around, she took in the nods of agreement from the men. “But what do we do? Ducky, you know him the best of us all.”
“We need to let him know in a gentle but firm way that we don’t support that behavior and if Brooks is a member of our team, he will be treated as such. Mike’s dislike for the man could lead to his death, and by extension, Abby’s.”
“But you know Franks, Duck,” Tim interrupted. “If we all approach him, tell him what to do and how to run his team and the op, he’ll balk and dig himself further into his stubborn hole.”
“You’re right,” Tony said quietly. “Who is the most non-threatening of us? Abby…or you, McGee.”
“I would think Ducky would be,” Ziva offered. “He has worked with Franks the longest. It should not be Abby. He would only view her opinion as jaded by Brooks’ influence and her emotions.”
Ducky nodded, placing a hand on McGee’s shoulder. “We’ll go together. If he fears he’s being lectured, Timothy can spout off some of his computer terminology and Mike’s eyes will glaze over. Sounds mutually beneficial, don’t you think, Timothy?”
“Works for me, Ducky. I’ll pull out all the stops with the technical jargon. And if that fails, you can always launch into a story about something that reminds you of something else.”
~*~
Tapping the call button, Morrow punched in the call numbers for Abby’s lab. Hearing it go through, he called out, “Abby. Abby? You there?”
Hearing her name coming over the loud speaker, she said, “Whoops…” Crawling away from Gibbs, her skirt rising above the bottom of her ass, she made it to the door and called out, “Yes, Director?”
“You’re needed in the conference room. Time for your debriefing, Abby”
“All right, Director. I’ll be right up.”
Turning back to Jet, she crawled slowly towards him. “Looks like our time’s up for now.”
Instead of going to his side, she moved over him, straddling him when she came to a stop. “Think you’re going to be okay here, by yourself? I’ll keep the door locked so no one can come busting through.”
“I’ll be fine, Inky,” he assured, giving her a wink. Now that the sexual frustration was lessened, he was on a much more even keel. At least he knew where Jet ended and Gibbs began now.
“You sure? Maybe I wanna make sure to lock you in, so you can’t run away from me.” In truth, she knew he wouldn’t leave the agency, not with the op on the line. But she hoped he’d want to stay for her too. Their little interlude, though it had taken the edge off, had really only made her crave more.
“I’m not running anywhere,” he assured, giving her a gentle smile. “Go, shoo. I’ll just lie here quietly and decompress.”
“Shoo?” Laughing, she bent down and quickly kissed him on the lips. “I don’t think anyone’s ever said shoo to me before.” Pushing back on her heels, she said, “I’ll be quick, don’t know much of what I’ll have to add. Relax and I’ll be back soon.”
Standing up, she smiled down at him, before moving towards the door with a swirl of her skirt.
“Well, I’m not telling ya to get lost because I want you back here. Soon.” He watched her go and expelled a long breath of air, letting his eyes close and moving his hand close to his mouth. The edge was off his sexual need, he was well fed, and now he could start to relax. With relaxation would come focus.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” she said, before disappearing from the lab.
~*~
Making her way unhindered, Abby stopped in front of the conference room. Knocking, she waited to hear the Director call her in.
“Come in Abby we’ve been waiting for you,” Morrow called.
Martin automatically stood as she walked in and came around to hold her chair. “Ms. Sciuto, I wanted to thank you personally and on behalf of the agency for the hands on approach you’ve taken with regard to Special Agent Gibbs. Is he winding down?”
Abby couldn’t stop the bright crimson blush that stained her cheeks at Director Fletcher’s comment about hands on with Jet. “Yeah, I made up my futon in the ballistics lab, put some candles around. He says he’s going to decompress while I’m in here.” Sitting down next to Morrow, she said, “Okay, I’m here. What do I need to do?”
“Director Fletcher, do you want to ask some questions of her first? Or should she just start in a summation?” Morrow asked of his friend.
Martin smiled and nodded. “I’m certain that will help.” He looked to Tom and then began his questioning. “Did you make eye contact with Gibbs at all? Did you feel that he was in any way tracking you or expressing interest? Why don’t you tell us about the events up to the point that you and Gibbs met.”
Just like a band aid, Sciuto. If you just rip it off, it’ll hurt less. But despite that conversation with herself, she knew that telling the directors about the connection she and Jet had started that night would be embarrassing. “Before he made verbal contact with me when he brought me a glass of champagne, I saw him watching me. It unnerved and intrigued me at the same time. I was supposed to be on the lookout for someone to make contact with me for the drugs. Even without the tattoo on my neck, it was still obvious I was different, and Franks was hoping that difference would spark that contact.”
Fiddling with her fingers, she continued, “When he came up to me, there was this…attraction. Overwhelming. The connection we shared, we share, is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. I wasn’t prepared for it. Jet suggested that we go somewhere more…private to, um, talk. When we got into the alcove, he…we kissed. I thought he was going for my necklace and I took my stun gun to him,” she finished racing over that part.
“What happened next, I don’t really know much about since I ran to the van. I did see him soon after, when he was cuffed with Ziva and Tim guarding him. Back at NCIS, I went to fingerprint him…and when I was finished, that’s when Mike came in. Mike…hit him, several times, before I could stop him. It was…horrible, Director,” she ended on a whisper.
Getting up, Morrow moved to the side of her chair and knelt down. “Abby, it’s alright. I can’t imagine how much that scared you. And you told me before, but for Director Fletcher’s benefit, can you tell us one more time? Did Gibbs hurt you? Did he do anything to cause that reaction from Franks?”
“No, Director!” Abby exclaimed quickly. “Jet…touched me, but not without my permission. I…I wanted him to. I don’t know why Franks reacted that way, but it’s my fault. I think he was just trying to protect me.”
Martin felt the same urge to protect her, was glad when Tom did first. “It’s okay, Abby,” he said quietly. “We understand how hard it is for you to recount this.” He had to let out a mental smile that Jethro had made such a smooth move on the woman.
“You did absolutely right, Abby,” he said in his firmest tone of voice. “The fact that you shocked him isn’t at issue here. I’m much more concerned with the reactions of my agent and Special Agent Franks.”
“But if I had been able to control my reactions, to not be so…shaken up, maybe Franks wouldn’t have felt the need to protect me and wouldn’t have beaten Jet.”
Martin knew it was against protocol but he couldn’t help reacting. He knelt at her other side, lightly touching her arm. “Ms. Sciuto, you did nothing to cause this. Nothing whatsoever. Jethro and Franks are grown men and both are more responsible for this than you could ever be.”
She smiled down at the FBI director, knowing that someone like him rarely put himself out to comfort subordinates. His job was to lead their people, not make sure guilt wasn’t misplaced. “Thank you, Director Fletcher. I can see why you and Director Morrow are such good friends. You two are a lot alike.”
Morrow had to contain himself when Abby started blaming herself. He saw Martin go up to her and was a bit surprised at the other director’s need to comfort Abby. Then again, Abby seemed to bring that nature out in the men, and in some women like Ziva, that she worked with. In all his years as an agent and then director of NCIS, he’d never met someone like Abby, someone who inspired such a need to protect. He just hoped that Jet was the man he appeared to be, man enough to protect without smoothing the forensic scientist.
Martin glanced over at Tom and gave both him and Abby a sheepish smile. He knew that they knew that this wasn’t the done thing, either for him personally, or within his agency. He patted her knee gently and went back to his seat. “Do not take on the blame or responsibilities of others, Abby.”
“I’ll try, Director. Can’t guarantee anything, but I’ll try.” Fiddling with an invisible mark on the table, she asked, “So, what next? Am I going undercover? What’s going to be my identity? Have you worked out how I’m going to be fitted in with Jet’s cover yet?”
Martin spoke first. “We want to work both operations simultaneously, which will mean a lot of work on both of your parts. You need to make sure you’re up to the task before you confirm. It could be months, Abby. Months where you don’t see family or friends and months where you have to pretend to be someone you’re not.”
He wanted to tell her that she couldn’t jump in and out of a persona like Jet had this evening. Even a seasoned agent like Jet was feeling the effects and he’d soon have to be Brooks again, with Brooks’ more cultured vocabulary and no boats or bourbon. And blessedly, no dead wife and daughter to mourn. Martin understood why Gibbs became so involved in his personas. They were an escape of sorts.
Taking a deep breath, Abby started talking through the decision, working out even to herself why she was doing it. “And I know, if I say yes, you guys will be worried I’m doing it because of the strange connection I have with Jet. And that’s not it, at least that’s not the main reason I’m doing it. I saw those bodies, Directors. I saw what those drugs did to those people. If I don’t go and try and stop whoever’s cutting those drugs with even deadlier poison, I’m not going to be able to live with myself.”
Tilting her head up, trying to show strength, even in the face of a decision that terrified her a bit, she finished, “I’m in.”
Martin looked at Tom and when he got the nod, he began speaking. “You’re Jet’s ex wife, you two are reconciling. He saw you at the party. Tobias Fornell and Jet will be working with you and your team. We’ll need to establish marital and divorce records, a joint credit history and a separate one for you, as well as your complete background. We’ll do this when you’re done here.”
“Jet’s told me about what I’ll have to do to go undercover for this op. These ops,” she corrected herself. “I know I won’t see my life or my apartment for a long while. Probably can’t take Bert with me, huh?” she asked, hoping one of the directors would tell her she could. “And I know I won’t be able to tell my family I’m all right…”
“Who is Bert? No….a pet wouldn’t work for this operation. You’ll have to have someone watch him for you.” Martin nodded. “Welcome to the operation then, Ms. Scuito.” He had his reservations about this, but Tom was convinced his girl was the right choice and Martin trusted Tom’s instincts.
“Write out postcards to your family, “Martin continued. “We’ll have them posted from different locations. Fornell and Gibbs will coach you on what to say. We don’t want your family or friends worrying about your health or well-being.”
“Guess you guys have been giving this a lotta thought since I left. Who’s working on the background records? McGee’d probably be a really useful there. He’s got some talents hacking into places he shouldn’t,” she said with a soft smile.
Martin knew that Tobias would be on a secure line open to the FBI and the best document preparers on the horn. “We’ll work together and utilize your agents’ skills.” He winked at Tom. The two directors probably shouldn’t be hearing this.
Tom started laughing at Martin’s questioning of Abby’s Bert. “Bert is Abby’s hippo, a stuffed animal she’s had as long as I’ve known her. It even farts when you hug it; an Abby special. But no, probably not Abbs. A farting hippo probably won’t fit well in with the ex, now full wife of Jet Brooks.”
Hearing Morrow laugh, Abby smiled in response. “Okay. Someone’s going to have to take care of him then. I don’t want strange people in my lab, playing with Bert. He’s sensitive. Hey, maybe Special Agent Fornell’s daughter would be interested in taking care of her.” She perked up a little at that thought. She’d hate to leave Bert with complete strangers.
Martin couldn’t stop grinning when he heard about the hippo. “Emily would love that. She’s got just the right sense of humor to appreciate him and I know she’ll keep him safe.”
“Than it’s settled. I’ll give Bert to Fornell for his daughter for safekeeping.” Abby smiled at that, strangely comforted now that Bert’s well-being was being looked after.
Martin looked to Tom. “Do we need anything more from Abby right now? Where do you want her? With Fornell or Gibbs or both?”
“I believe we have what we need from her. Abby, go see Fornell. Help him with setting up your history, linking it with Brooks’. Franks is down there in the squad room as well working the angle. See if you can’t get him to see reason, to calm down. If he can’t, Abby I’m taking him off the op as lead. I won’t see you harmed because his ego is in the way.”
Standing up, she walked over to her director, kneeling next to him, though she was careful to keep her skirt smoothed down. “Thank you,” she whispered before heading out the door.
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