Part Two
The journey to the Navy Yard taking less than thirty minutes, Abby and Gibbs were amongst the first of their shift to arrive at the NCIS building. Leaving the elevator on different floors, they each went about the business of setting up for the day.
Getting into his computer, Gibbs was not surprised to find that Burley had uploaded the entire DiMarco case file for him. The opening segment had been clearly marked to show how much had already been covered and carried Burley’s sporadic annotations of information that had been confirmed, needed further verification, had already been amended or added to. Pleased with his senior agent’s usual diligence, he used the time before his team arrived to read it through.
Shortly before 0800 the sound of the elevator marked the arrival of other personnel. Hearing a backpack thump down onto the opposite desk, Gibbs didn’t look up as he said, “This is good work Stan. You’ve managed to come up with a few things that the FBI missed out altogether. Keep at it and you may come up with up something that will help get DiMarco convicted.”
“Thanks, boss!” Burley smiled as he sat down. The ex-Marine was well known for being hard to please and rarely bestowed praise, so he knew it had been sincere and savoured the moment. He was tempted to ask if any progress had been made with the other file, but managed to hold the question back. Despite a dislike of being left in the dark about anything that might be case-related and being curious about what was being kept confidential and why, he consoled himself that Gibbs would make it known, albeit in his own time, if he deemed it necessary.
Closing the file on his computer and getting to his feet, Gibbs heard the elevator open its door to deposit more employees onto the floor as he said, “If you need me call my cell.”
Sliding into place behind her desk as he strode by, Blackadder said, “Morning, boss.” She gained a curt nod of acknowledgement but noted that his eyes glanced at the clock on the wall and inwardly sighed.
“Morning, Viv.” Burley greeted her and waited until Gibbs had disappeared before adding, “If you left home a little earlier you’d miss the heavy traffic.”
“I’m only seven minutes late!”
“The key word in that sentence is ‘late’.”
“It’s only seven minutes for pity’s sake!” Blackadder shrugged off the well meant advice.
“Late is late and not the way to get back into good books after yesterday’s ‘coffee’ run.”
“Not everyone working here sucks up to His Lord and Master, Stanley.” Blackadder sneered.
“Not everyone gets to stay on his team either.” Burley threw back with satisfaction. Promoted to the supervisory role after Mike Franks had retired, Gibbs had soon set about forming his own team. Burley had been amongst the original people selected and, over four years later, was the only one of them still there. Deservedly proud of being the longest serving member of the team that topped all others, he was smiling smugly as he got back to work.
~*~*~
Someone else who had arrived early for work was also being accused of sucking up.
“Are you trying to make the rest of us look bad, Tony?” Dan Peterson scowled.
“Brown nosing won’t score you enough points to get paid any extra!” Eric Cohen laughed.
“I just wanted to make sure I got a doughnut today.” DiNozzo grinned at the teasing and held up what was left of the sugary treat he had almost finished eating. “If you guys get to them first you never leave me one!”
Taking a doughnut from the box of a dozen they had delivered each morning which was presently sitting on the desk next to DiNozzo’s, Cohen was about to take a bite when the telephone beside it rang. Closer then DiNozzo and beating him to it, he grunted; “If you’re hoping to speak to Avelinni, he’s not in yet.”
Shaking his head at Cohen’s abruptness, DiNozzo left him to it, though he did wonder why the missing man wasn’t here yet. His temporary secondment had been based on a number of reasons, not least being that of providing Avelinni with a stand-in partner whilst his own, being one of the three men hospitalised, was unfit for work. The two of them worked well in tandem and had soon discovered, apart from their Italian ancestry, that they had other things in common. One was always being amongst the first to arrive. Thoughtfully chewing on the last of his doughnut, he ran through the possibilities of why Avelinni was close to being late. He could simply have over-slept, or it could be car trouble. Maybe it was...
“What’s that? ...Elisabetta’s what? Are you sure?”
DiNozzo stopped eating and looked up sharply.
“Yes. Yes, I’ll tell him. You just...” Cohen shrugged. “...just do whatever it is you should be doing!”
~*~*~
The sound of his entry into the lab concealed by the blaring music that was playing, Gibbs took a moment to watch as Abby moved effortlessly between the three computers that were now positioned on the work station in front of her. The two that had been loaded with cell phone records displayed a list of numbers, some having name and address information beside them. The third was showing a different photograph of DiNozzo to the one he had already seen. It had obviously been taken some time before the other when his hair was shorter and was alongside his driver’s licence details.
He was about to make his presence known, but Abby spoke first, “Aren’t you going to ask if I have anything for you yet?”
“Do you?”
“No.” She turned around to face him and saw what he held. “But you do. That is for me, right?”
“It is.” Gibbs nodded, offering the large beaker of her favourite caffeine infusion. “Nothing, eh?”
“Nothing useful.” Abby paused to siphon a large gulp. “I’ve got most of the cell numbers linked to caller identities and such, but there’s nothing out of the ordinary so far. At least, nothing that stands out to me. Most seem to be work related.”
Running his eyes down the list on display, Gibbs was inclined to agree, though he did notice something odd. “He’s been in Baltimore coming up to two years, but apart from the occasional call to the PD, probably for routine check-ins, he hasn’t made any other calls there.”
“Maybe he hasn’t made the sort of friends there that he likes to keep in touch with.” Abby shrugged it off with her own brand of reasoning. “If I went to work in another city for a while, I don’t think I’d be calling all the people I know in DC every day. Of course, I’d call you every day, Gibbs. Not that I’d want to work anywhere else, but if I did, I’d call you every day and write to you and...”
“Abby.” Gibbs cut in, halting her progressive divergence from the matter in hand.
“Sorry.” She drew another drink. “But I don’t think it’s really strange that he doesn’t call...”
“Point taken.” Gibbs partly conceded. “What about the background check?”
“I’ve just started on it, really.” Abby wryly admitted. “I’ve only got one pair of hands and eyes.”
“I’m not criticising, Abby, just asking. Besides, I’m here and free for the time being, so maybe I can help you out a little.”
Pulling back to look at Gibbs through narrowed eyes, Abby accused, “Who are you and what have you done with the real Gibbs? Real Gibbs would never help in my lab!”
“Then you’d best make the most of the offer whilst it lasts.” Gibbs cheekily grinned.
~*~*~
Unhappy with finding himself suddenly restricted to desk-duty, DiNozzo looked at the mountain of files that had been handed to him and deeply sighed. Without Avelinni as backup, he was not allowed out on field-work and would be stuck at a desk until his return. Wondering if the higher ups might decide he should be put to better use and return him to his proper position in Baltimore, with a return just for testifying in court, he was unusually undecided on what he was hoping for.
Beyond helping to catch up on a huge backlog of paperwork, it certainly served no useful purpose to have him stay in DC if he wasn’t actively working any cases. Certainly, he would much prefer to be out in the field than be constantly stuck behind a desk, but returning to Baltimore would also mean not being easily able to meet and socialise with some of the new friends he had recently made. With that in mind, he now realised and admitted to himself that he was not looking forward to leaving, be it now or when the trial had concluded.
Shuffling through the paperwork that has been placed on his desk, he gave a heartfelt sigh. At least he had two evenings already arranged to spend with his friends this coming weekend to look forward to.
~*~*~
Not the quickest of computer users, but more competent than his team realised, Gibbs was actually enjoying his stint as Abby’s assistant and it was, after all, to his own benefit. If he was to succeed in getting DiMarco charged and convicted he needed to ensure that every possible means was available to him. If that meant thoroughly investigating his son for a possible connection or way to bring DiMarco down, then it was in his own best interest to help speed the process.
Returning from a trip to replenish their refreshments, Abby placed a large coffee beside Gibbs and said, “Well, I’ve almost completed the break-down of Tony’s cell record. How are you doing? Have you found anything interesting or useful?”
“I’ve concentrated on newspaper articles concerning Daddy DiMarco and family.” Gibbs almost shrugged, not considering any of it had particularly relevance as it mainly consisted of gossip that tended to surround the rich and/or famous. Stopping to pick up his drink, he added, “If you want to take a look, I’ve printed a few things out.”
Reaching for the small pile of paper he pointed to, Abby curiously scanned the articles and found one that contained a photograph of a glamorous, good looking couple, posing with practiced smiles. To the side of them was a young boy with a downcast head. He was dressed in a ‘sailor’ style suit and from what could be seen of his expression, he looked dejected. Thinking it was probably due to a dislike of the media attention, she sighed, “Poor kid doesn’t look very happy being photographed. It’s okay if the parents want the publicity, but to force it on children... It must be awful to be dressed up and paraded for the cameras like that... Oh, my god, this is Tony! How old was he... Aw, Gibbs, he was only eight years old when this was taken... It is Tony, isn’t it?”
Nodding, Gibbs said, “If you don’t like that, you’ll like the next one even less,”
Taking a look, she found a selection of pictures showing a large group of men dressed in military uniforms. Taken just a few seconds apart and showing what was obviously a re-enacted battle from the American Civil War, there were also a number children involved. The tallest, probably oldest, were on the edges of the battle area and appeared to be enjoying taking part, but there were a few smaller children in the background. They were also wearing uniforms but were positioned out of harms’ way and stood watching. Looking closely, she was able to identify her friend amongst the smaller boys and said, “He doesn’t look very pleased to be there.”
“It was taken less than a month after his mother died.”
Noting that Ricardo DiMarco was smiling broadly, Abby swore, “He should still have been in mourning, Gibbs, not taking part in a Civil War tournament. He’s heartless!”
“Maybe.” Gibbs conceded, needing to keep her sympathy more restrained. “But DiNozzo wasn’t the first and won’t be the last to have a father that could have been a lot better.”
There were other articles with photographs, but none that showed Tony at an older age. When Abby looked up, she saw that Gibbs was sipping coffee and gazing at her intently. “What?”
“Don’t get suckered, Abby.” Gibbs gently warned her. “That little boy you’re feeling sorry for isn’t so young anymore. Despite a few photographs that you’re fretting over, he was still the son of a rich family and probably grew up as a spoiled brat in the lap of luxury.”
“Tony’s not spoiled...” the words faded under Gibbs unwavering gaze, but she still added, “Well, he isn’t.”
“I just don’t want you forgetting who he is. He may be living apart and apparently making his own way in the world, but that doesn’t mean he has no involvement in the family business.”
“I won’t forget, Gibbs.” Abby pledged. “He’s my friend, but I know you have to do this and I’ll do whatever I can to help. I may be biased but I promise that it won’t affect my work.”
“I never doubted that.” Gibbs reached out to tweak a pigtail and gained a small but warm smile.
“Do you have anything else?”
“I’ve only got one pair of hands and eyes.” Gibbs mimicked, amused at having the tables turned and being the one in the lab to be asked if progress was being made. Deciding to try and keep the lighter mood going for a while, he said, “Last night you were telling me about your visit to Xander’s. Is there anything else about that evening that you think I should know?”
“Well, I guess it depends on that you think is important. He’s doesn’t have a problem with guys who like guys, if that’s relevant. When I introduced him to a few friends that had been expecting us, he didn’t hold back from shaking hands or joining them for a drink.” Abby sounded her approval.
“You had friends already there that were expecting you? I thought you told DiNozzo that they wouldn’t be there until later? That you didn’t want to go alone as you’d be by yourself until...”
“Duh! It was a way of getting him there.”
“Sounds like a set-up to me.” Gibbs mildly admonished her mischievous nature.
“I already told you that I wanted him to meet some of my friends, so it doesn’t really matter if they were already there or turning up later...” Abby saw his look of disbelief and admitted, “All right, I’d arranged it that way. I thought it might cushion the impact if I could get into friendly company straight away and I was right. Although he was quiet for a while, well, quieter than he usually is, it didn’t take too long before he was adding to the conversation and making jokes that were as bad as ever... And since then, they’ve all become quite good friends...”
“Since?” Gibbs picked up the reference. “How many times have you taken him there?”
“I think it was about a week between his first and second visit, but we went twice the next week, so that makes four times and, oh... we went once after that, so that makes it five.”
“Over how long?”
“About three weeks, but we haven’t been for a while.”
“Why? Did he chicken out?”
“No! The others wanted to spend more time at their regular club, so we agreed to go there instead. I wasn’t sure that Tony would agree or, even, like it, but we’ve been,” she paused to work it out. “Four times in the last three weeks...”
“If he was okay with Xander’s, why did you think he wouldn’t like the other place?” he shot her a narrow eyed gaze. “Which club was it?”
“Spartac.”
Gibbs gave that a few moments of thought. Whatever Abby’s original reasons for wanting to take DiNozzo to Xander’s and meet her friends, it was the ideal place to introduce someone to the gay community. The best known of the ‘meet and greet’ type venues, it was quite tame by most other standards and not likely to freak out a novice. On the other hand, Spartac was more intense, more specialised and able to cater to a variety of specific tastes and wiles...
“What’s wrong with that?” Abby asked, breaking the lengthening silence. “It’s not as if you...”
“Quite.” Gibbs smiled. It had just become almost too easy but, if needed, he had found the way in.
~*~*~
Waiting in MTAC for a satellite link-up with personnel stationed in Afghanistan, Director Morrow heard the door open and close. A moment later, his lead agent settled into a chair beside him. Glancing sideways, he invited; “You got anything for me yet?”
“Not really, but Stan’s been discovering and adding a few facts that were missing from the file.”
“And Blackadder?”
“Still associates with FBI friends that are possible security leaks.” Gibbs responded. “She’s working on cold case files.”
“She must be wondering why she’s been excluded.” Morrow commented without censure.
“No, she thinks Stan’s doing the same. He’s very discreet.”
“And our favourite lab rat?”
“Is eager to help and working hard.”
“That’s good to have confirmed, but hardly surprising.” Morrow paused. “But you didn’t come and find me to tell me that. What else did you want to say?”
“Computer checks aren’t turning up much of real use. I’m thinking of going undercover.”
“I’ve already given you free rein, Jethro. You don’t need to run it by me to gain approval.”
“I wasn’t seeking approval, just telling you what I’m intending.”
“That went from ‘thinking’ to ‘intending’ in less than thirty seconds.” Morrow looked amused.
“I’m making decisions as I go.” Gibbs smirked. “Thought it best to let you know you may not see me around much for a while... and give you the nod that my absences will need covering.”
“As far as anyone will know, you’re still working on angles connected to your stint in Gitmo.”
“That should do it.” Gibbs nodded approval, not voicing that he had been thinking the same.
“Is there anything else you think I need to know?”
“I’ve got it covered.”
“Then why are you still here?” Morrow, this time, allowed the smile to surface.
“Here? You must be mistaking me for someone else.” Gibbs got to his feet and quietly departed.
~*~*~
Thinking that he had never spent as much of his work day in Forensics as he seemed to be doing at present, Gibbs reviewed the information that had been gained and had to admit that it amounted to very little of use. Even with two pairs of hands and eyes, there was a limit to how quickly the facts could be sifted for nuggets worth noting. So far, they had gained an unproved, but not altogether pleasant picture of what life might have been like for a young child growing up in the DiMarco household. Educational details were sparse and needed further elaboration but were not a priority unless likely to shine a light on other matters. Police Academy and other PD records were under-going a check, but Abby needed to exert caution to avoid triggering alerts that DiNozzo’s file was being accessed, which meant that it was slow. All of the information being garnered was necessary, but, so far, none of it was answering any of the more helpful and important questions. He wanted to know the reason why DiNozzo had changed his name. Why had he apparently severed all ties with his family? Why had he chosen a career in law enforcement? Was he really as unconnected and as innocent of involvement with DiMarco’s shadier business dealings as it appeared, or was it all somehow a sham to cover a different truth?
To gain those answers it would be necessary to learn more about the man himself and, with Abby’s biased opinion as an example of not relying solely upon the opinion of others, Gibbs decided not to defer his earlier decision any further and stated, “Abby, I need you to do something for me.”
Forty minutes later, Abby took a step back from her computer and asked; “What do you think?”
His own input, whilst considerable, being restricted to verbalising his requirements, Gibbs had watched the Goth tech’s hands practically fly over her keyboard as she securely closed all access to his own records and had then set about creating ‘new’ ones to verify the persona he would adopt. Anyone that cared to run a check, a Baltimore detective for instance, would find a comprehensive life history, including military background and drivers licence.
“Well?”
“Good work, Abby.” Gibbs voiced his approval. “You’ve done a good job.”
Preening at the praise, Abby said, “You sure about the name? I still prefer Ashe.”
“Not this time.” Gibbs shook his head. “I don’t know where this might take me. If needed, Gibbs can be passed off as being short for Gibson.”
Conceding the wisdom of caution, Abby ventured, “What about Ethan? Ethan Gibson?”
“Leave it the way we already have it.”
Abby sighed as she locked the newly created records, still thinking Jeffrey Gibson sounded a bore.
Aware of her disappointment in not having the name suggestions accepted, Gibbs knew he was about to make up for it by asking for her active participation in the next step...
About to advise her to calm down before she did anything else, Gibbs thought better of it. A subdued sounding Abby would be more abnormal than hyperactive Abby. Leaving her to handle the call in the way she thought best, he sat to one side ready to listen and observe.
Delighted to be entrusted by Gibbs to play a part, but conscious of her friendship with DiNozzo, Abby took a moment to compose herself, then dialled the required number and switched to hands-free speaker mode. After three rings the call was picked up and she asked, “Tony? Is that you?”
Smiling at the recognised voice, DiNozzo responded, “Do you know of any good job vacancies?”
“What?” Abby frowned, clearly not expecting this type of comeback.
“I’ve been glued to a desk, Abbs, and I want out.”
“Ah, poor baby.” She smiled, understanding. “What’s happened?”
“Elisabetta started having contractions this morning and Stefano has taken her to the hospital, which leaves me without a partner and they won’t let me out of the office by myself.”
“That’s too bad.” Abby sympathised, then said, “Contractions? But the baby isn’t due for weeks!”
“Another eleven weeks.” DiNozzo clarified. “I’ve called the hospital for updates and been told they tried to stop the labour. I didn’t know they could do that, but it didn’t work, though they have somehow managed to slow it down. Last I knew, they were considering a C-Section.”
“She’ll be all right. She will, and the baby. They’ll be fine. I know they will. And Stefano, he’ll be fine, they all will...”
Gibbs rolled his eyes as she went full tilt into trying not to panic.
“Yes, they will.” Tony assured her, cutting into the litany and down-playing his own concerns. “Now, much as I love talking with you, care to tell me why you’ve called?”
“Oh. Yes, why I called. Well, if you’re feeling down about being desk-bound, it’s something that might cheer you. I know we’ve already made plans for Friday and Saturday, but how would you like an extra night out. If you’re free tonight so am I?”
“Cool, but didn’t you say you don’t like clubbing when you have to be up early the next day?”
Gibbs smile did not go unnoticed.
“Yeah, but that’s down to my boss. He doesn’t like it if I party hard when I have school the day after.” Abby was gazing directly at him as she spoke. “Right now, though, I don’t care. He’s driving me crazy with unreasonable demands.”
Gibbs swiftly lost any sign of visible amusement.
“He’s what?” DiNozzo sharply demanded. “If he’s done anything...”
“He’s demanding that I come up with results quicker than my babies can get them.”
Gibbs shook his head, though he had felt a twinge of approval on hearing DiNozzo’s indignation.
“Major Mass-Spec not running to spec?” DiNozzo teased, having learned of her fondness for her lab equipment.
“If you’re going to insult my boys I’ll withdraw the offer!”
“Tell them I’m sorry.” He chuckled. “I’ll be there at 7.30 but try to be ready this time. Cab drivers don’t like being kept waiting.”
“I’ll be ready!” Abby promised and ended the call.
“Unreasonable demands?” Gibbs sternly questioned. “Guess that means you don’t want this...”
“You wouldn’t!” Abby wailed as he mock-threatened to snatch the unfinished beaker of Caf-Pow.
~*~*~
Ready and waiting before the 7.30 deadline, Abby was out of the house as soon as the cab pulled up and jumped into the back seat beside DiNozzo with a cheery, “Hi!”
“Hi, yourself!” he threw back and gave the driver a nod to indicate that he should continue the journey. As Abby wriggled closer and interlinked their touching arms, he thought back to the first time they had shared a cab to go clubbing. Then, as now, they had been subjected to a speculative gaze from the driver, but on that first occasion he had not fully understood why. The name of the club they had given as a destination had not been one that he had ever heard of. He had, however, heard of the reputations of clubs in the vicinity of Dupont Circle and had eventually realised that was where they were heading. He had been curious of Abby’s reasons for bringing him to such a place and though he had tried to conceal his bemusement, it must have been obvious to the people she had introduced him to. Even so, they had welcomed him and included him in their conversation until he had begun to feel more at ease and was then able to enjoy the evening. So much so, when they were saying their goodbyes and someone had asked if they would do it again the following week, he had only paused for Abby’s reply before adding his own positive response.
Glancing at her companion’s thoughtful expression, Abby was also thinking about their nights out and the small but progressive steps that had been made. Acting on something she believed might be true, she had deliberately taken DiNozzo to meet some of her other friends at one of the clubs they frequented to gauge his reaction and had not been disappointed. Soon shrugging off any initial discomfort, he had responded well to her introductions and eventually joined in the conversation with genuine warmth that had not gone unnoticed. With each return visit, she had witnessed DiNozzo allowing his innate curiosity to emerge a little further and was convinced that she had been right in assuming he had been repressing part of his sexuality. Not having such inhibitions, she had carefully monitored how he was being drawn to the culture he was surrounded by and was delighted by his acceptance in agreeing to try another venue, albeit that he had not known of its reputation.
As they pulled up at their destination DiNozzo paid the fare, then got out of the taxi and offered a hand to help Abby, all but pulling her out of the vehicle as her skirt was too tight for easy movement.
Re-linking arms as they walked to the club door, she said, “I wonder if Zach will be here tonight.”
“We’re not even in there yet and you‘re already thinking about other men? I’m wounded!”
“Well, it’s not like you want him for yourself!” she declared and lightly punched his arm.
“Abbs!” DiNozzo shook his head as he handed over the entrance fees.
“But you do like him.”Abby said, this time more serious. “Admit it.”
“He’s... I... Okay, I do like him, just... not the way that you... not that way.”
“Shame, because I know he likes you that way.”
“You are not going to get me to change my mind.” DiNozzo shook his head as they went along a corridor leading to the main room. “Besides which, he already knows it’s a ‘no’.”
“He does? You mean, he actually...”
“Hey, I meant to say something earlier.” DiNozzo changed the topic. “I received a text from Stefano just before I set out. He said it had been decided to go ahead with the C-Section. Should be taking place about now.”
“Ah, Tony!” Abby squeezed his arm. “They’re going to have a baby!”
“I think they kind of knew that.” He answered as he steered her around a small group of people standing at the edge of the dance floor and on towards the bar.
“Yes, but any time now they’ll be able to see it...”
“See her.”
“...and hold it...”
“Hold her.”
“...and...” Abby suddenly realised what he had been saying. “Her? How do you know?”
“Stefano showed me a picture of the scan thingummy. Definitely no little boy bits on show.”
“Aw, Tony, they’re going to have a baby girl! Now they’ll have to think of a pretty name...”
“Gulia.”
“... because she’ll need a name...”
“Gulia.” DiNozzo repeated as one of the three barmen came towards them.
“Julia?”
“Almost. G-U-L-I-A.” DiNozzo broke it down. “Think Italian.”
“Gulia.” Abby gave it a try.
“You’ve got it.” DiNozzo nodded approval and grinned. “Gulia Antonia Avelinni.”
“Antonia?”
“Don’t look at me! Name was decided before I came to DC.”
“Maybe one day you’ll be calling...”
“No.”
“No?” Abby was puzzled by the abruptness of his response.
“What would you like to drink?” the barman enquired.
“The usual for you, Abbs, or something different?” DiNozzo waited for her to decide.
“It’s a school night, so best to start with a Soda.”
“Make that two.” DiNozzo placed the order.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Extract;“I just don’t want you forgetting who he is. He may be living apart and apparently making his own way in the world, but that doesn’t mean he has no involvement in the family business.”