"Gwen"
NCIS HQ...
Downstairs In The Lab...
Downstairs in the lab the new forensic specialist, Gwen Waters, was hard at work.
She knew that her boss could call for the results at any time, and she also knew that he got ill whenever they weren't ready on time.
"Knock, knock," Tony said, tapping on the lab door lightly. "Anyone home?"
Tony's unexpected arrival startled Gwen, and made her jump in her seat.
The test tube she'd been holding slipped from her hand and fell to the ground spilling its contents across the floor.
"Shit." Gwen swore, under her breath, as she scrambled to clean up the mess as quickly as possible.
Tony strolled over, grabbing the roll of paper towels off of the supply shelf as he passed by it.
"Here let me help you with that." Tony offered, stooping down.
Gwen snatched the paper towels from Tony's hands and set to work wiping up the rest of the mess.
"Okay then." Tony said, as he stood up.
"Agent DiNozzo, how many times must I ask you not to do that?" Gwen said, clearly upset.
"Sorry, I-I didn't mean to-"
Gwen stood up and dumped the remnants of her lastest blunder into the nearby waste basket.
"I know, I know--just don't do it anymore, please?" Gwen said, as she headed for the supply shelf, hastily.
"Now I have to--have to start all over again." she explained, as she collected the necessary materials from the shelf and carried them back to her work space.
Gwen was a very attractive young woman in her late twenties to early thirties. She was slender in figure, with short, light brown hair that stopped above her shoulders. Her eyes were a dazzling hazel color that were mostly hidden by the glasses that she wore.
In other words, by DiNozzo's standards she was just about right.
"Agent Gibbs could call at any time, and if I don't have results for him when he asks...I could lose my job." she fumed, hurriedly tryig to regain lost time.
"Well actually I don't think he can." Tony said, with a half grin, as he scratched a place on the back of his head.
"Have you ever actually met the man, Agent DiNozzo?" Gwen asked, not looking up from her work.
"It's Tony, and yes I have." Tony answered, moving closer to her.
"I mean when he stares at you it's like he's staring directly into your soul--its--its-"
"Eerie, weird, unsettling, mystifying maybe...you know you can stop me at any time." Tony said, breaking in.
"Scary." Gwen replied, finishing her sentence.
A confused expression played across Tony's face at Gwen's remark.
"So, you're saying Gibbs scares you?"
"Well-" she tried to say.
"Gwen are you-" McGee said, as he entered the lab.
"Ooh," Gwen gasped, startled once again by another visitor.
Luckily, though, this time she had a much better grip on the test tube so this time she did not drop it.
"Sorry, didn't mean to--you know--startle you." McGee apologized.
"I know, I know." Gwen said, trying to regain her composure once again.
"Gwen here, says she's scared of Gibbs." Tony informed McGee, who now stood at his side.
"Gibbs, scary?" McGee repeated.
"Well, I'll admit he can be intimidating at times, but scary, no, not really." McGee said.
"I mean yeah, he's hard on us, and maybe even a little abusive, sometimes, but he's-" Tony began to add, comically.
"What, DiNozzo?" Gibbs voice echoed through the lab.
Everyone turned to the computer work station to see Gibbs' face on the mini-display screen just to the right of the computer.
"B-Boss." Tony stammered.
"What were you saying about me, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.
"Wow", Tony thought, the stare was even effective from a distance.
"I-I was just gonna say that your the best Boss." Tony said, trying to cover his ass.
Ever since they lost Abby Gibbs had sworn he'd never set foot back in the lab again (well unless of course he just really really really had to).
Because of this decision he had demanded that they find him another way to communicate with Gwen (not that he really wanted to) other than sending Tony, McGee, or Ziva down to the lab for him. The solution was to have McGee set up one of those new-fangled communication devices, like the ones in the lab and in Autopsy, at his desk in the squad room.
"H-Hi boss." McGee greeted Gibbs, slowly, with a slight wave of his hand.
"You two I'll deal with later." Gibbs said, coldly.
"Waters, results?"
Gwen walked over to the computer workstation, which sat just 3 or 4 feet away (maybe slightly more), and adjusted the screen a little.
She punched a few keys, nervously, on the computer's console and brought up the fingerprint analysis data.
"I ran the fingerprints that were recovered from the scene...throu-through AFIS, and of the three different sets of prints--only one came back with anything." Gwen explained.
"And?"
"An-And um, the prints belong to Seaman Donald Rabb." she continued.
Behind her Tony was grinning from ear to ear.
"Something funny, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.
"No boss, just that McGee now owes me 20 bucks." Tony replied.
McGee grimaced.
"Yeah, I was kinda hoping that you'd forgotten about that." McGee said.
Gibbs cleared his throat, loudly.
"Anyway!" he snapped.
"Right, right--s-sorry." Gwen stammered, turning back to the computer screen.
"I-I haven't finished running the chemical analysis on the substance that Dr. Mallard found in the victims hair."
"She uh, kind of had an accident, ahem (Tony coughs/clears his throat), Boss." Tony informed Gibbs.
Gwen turned and shot Tony a dirty, 'thanks-a-lot', kind of look.
"What about the slugs pulled from the body...anything?" Gibbs asked, irritability evident in his voice.
"Um, n-not yet, sir." Gwen stammered, as she turned back around to the computer.
"So you've got nothing?" Gibbs asked, his anger rising.
"N-no sir, not exactly." she replied. "I haven't gotten around to them yet, but I will--I-I promise."
"You bet your ass you will--and you will set a speed record doing it too!" Gibbs barked. "We've only got 3 hours left until we have to hand this case over to the FBI."
Y-yes s-sir."
"And you damn sure don't want that to happen." Gibbs barked, angrily.
"Hey boss, maybe I could, you know, help her." McGee offered. "It might make things go-"
"No, you get back up here and finish that trace on Seaman McGregor's cell phone." Gibbs barked.
Tony tried his best to stifle a giggle, but for all his efforts, he was unsuccessful.
"And you go help Ziva--the search warrant for McGregor's apartment just came in."
After Gibbs finished giving out orders there was a moment of silence--eerie silence.
"Well what're you standin' around for--Move!" Gibbs shouted.
The small screen went dark as Gibbs shut his end down.
Gwen slumped forward, almost immediately, setting her elbows against the desk/worktable with her face buried in her hands.
Tony and McGee were turning to leave the room when they realized that she was crying.
They both stopped and exchanged looks.
Tony let out a sigh as he strolled back over to her side, and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Gwen?" Tony said, quietly.
"H-he hates me." Gwen sobbed.
"No, he doesn't--Gibbs doesn't-" Tony struggled to find the right words for that/this particular situation.
"Look, Gibbs has just been through a lot, recently, and this is just his way of dealing with it." Tony said, quietly.
Gwen raised her head up, and wiped some tears from her eyes with the sleeve of her lab coat.
"You mean, Ms. Scuito--the one who was here before me?" Gwen asked, through a sniffle.
"Yeah, that's-that's part of it." Tony replied, patting her on the back gently.
"Look, just don't let him get to you, alright." he added. "Just do the best you can, and uh, (Tony chuckles slightly) McGee and I will take the flack from the boss man, alright."
Tony put on a small grin as a way of trying to cheer her up a bit.
"We've got to get going, before we really get in trouble." Tony said, nodding towards McGee who wa still standing by the door. "But will talk more later, I promise."
Gwen nodded.
Tony grinned, and patter her on the back again just before he and McGee finally left.
After they'd gone, Gwen got back to work--determined to finish up and have those results ready for Gibbs as fast and as soon as she could.
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NCIS HQ...
Squad Room...
Late That Evening...
The team had closed the case, and McGee, Tony, and Ziva had already left.
That left Gibbs all alone in the darkened squad room.
Suddenly teh sound of someone coughing caught his attention.
"Who's there?" Gibbs asked.
Gwen stepped out from around the shadowy corner, slowly.
"I-it's me sir." Gwen said, quietly.
"Oh." Gibbs said, with an air of un-interest in his voice, as he stood and reached to turn of his desk lamp.
"I was just fixin' to leave." Gibbs said.
"No--Wait!" Gwen said, suddenly.
She startled, not only Gibbs, but herself as well.
Gibbs stood, motionless, his fingers just inches from the light switch.
Gwen sucked in a deep breath, collecting her thoughts and composing herself before continuing.
"Look I know you don't like me, and I know WHY you don't like me," she began. "Agent Di-er--Tony, told me how Abby died...and I am so sorry for your loss--I know you two were really close."
Gibbs, realizing that this wasn't going to end anytime soon, slowly sat back down in his seat.
Gwen took another step or two closer to his desk--fighting back the tears that were burning behind her eyes.
"I've worked really hard to get where I am...and I-I enjoy my work," she continued. "And when I got this job it was like a dream come true for me."
Gibbs sat back in his chair, in a more relaxed position.
"I've been here for almost two weeks now, and I have taken everything that you've thrown at me," she continued, her voice, now, beginning to crack. "I keep hoping, and praying that the next day will be better...but you know what--it never does."
She stopped for a moment to wipe tears from her eyes, and to try to regain some composure (if that was even possible) before continuing.
"I know that you're grieving, and I really and truly respect that...but I'm not Abby, and I never will be." Gwen said, almost in a sob.
"I'm not trying to replace her, or make you forget about her...but if you could just give me a chance I just know I could prove myself to you--I know I'm not as good as Abby was, but I know I'm good." Gwen finished.
There was a moment of silence.
Gibbs leaned forward in his desk, and folded his hands in front of him.
He suddenly felt a cool wind/breeze blow gently past him.
"I know." he whispered, with a slight grin, to no one in particular.
"Music Begins To Play In The BackGround"
"
Every now and then I see you walk by
and I shake my head cause you're not really there,
I lie awake at night cause I still hear your voice
I'm haunted by the memories of what we shared;
ghosts of the past invade my space
so much for saving face,
and I'm gettin' tired of (playin') this game.
"
After a moment Gibbs looked up at her.
"You're right...you're not Abby." Gibbs said, quietly.
Gwen sucked in a deep breath, trying to stop herself from crying.
"But, you are a lot like her." Gibbs added, a slight smile/grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Gibbs sat back in his chair again, arms folded against his chest.
"I was hard on Abby her first week here too." Gibbs said, quietly.
Gwen noticed, even in the dim light, a glazed look in Gibbs' eyes.
"She did the same thing that you're doing now." he added.
"Only she...yelled...at me." Gibbs said, a grin spreading across his face at the memory.
There was a another moment of silence that lasted, forever, it seemed.
Then Gibbs leaned forward, and nodded.
"I'll see you bright and early monday morning, clear?"
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NCIS Parking Lot...
In Ziva's Car...
Out in the parking lot Tony, McGee, and Ziva all sat in Ziva's car.
Ziva had hidden a listening device in the squad room so that the three of them could listen in on their boss and the 'newbie'.
Mostly, she did it, reluctantly of course, so that Tony and McGee could settle a bet.
"Damn." McGee said, quietly, handing Tony another twenty dollar bill.
"Ziva, remind me to never bet against Tony ever again." he added.
"Sorry McGiggle, but when you've got it...you've got it." Tony said, with a victorious grin/smile.
Ziva couldn't help but laugh at Tony and McGee and how childish they acted sometimes.
"I can't believe I actually let the two of you talk me into doing this." she said.
---------------------------------------
NCIS HQ...
Squad Room...
Gibbs looked up, a slight grin still on his lips (sort of).
Gwen was speechless--utterly speechless.
She nodded, and then turned to leave--headed for the elevator.
Gibbs watched in silence as Gwen got onto the elevator and then the doors closed behind her.
Images and memories of the times and things that he and Abby had shared throughout the time that they'd known each other.
A single, lone tear rolled down from his eye and on down his cheek.
"Cause with you gone girl I'm a helpless mess
and with you gone I just feel so undressed,
unshielded from the unyielding pain I feel;
sometimes I tell myself that its not real
cause its so hard to carry on--with you gone."
------------The End------------
Author's Chapter Notes:
Director Shepherd has hired Abby's replacement, and it seems that Gibbs is the only one who hasn't made friendly with the 'newbie' yet...
Chapter End Notes:
This story is an addition to "Death In The Family".
Also, if you guys have any story ideas for any "Hypothetical Situations" within the NCIS universe that maybe you would like to see posted here...give me a shout, and we'll see what we can come up with. Enjoy and God Bless!!!!!
Also, if you guys have any story ideas for any "Hypothetical Situations" within the NCIS universe that maybe you would like to see posted here...give me a shout, and we'll see what we can come up with. Enjoy and God Bless!!!!!