Chapter 36
"And the doctor said he'd be alright?" Tony asked again. Jethro had called late that night to say he was now in Stillwater and that Dad was doing fine. He'd suffered a heart attack but the doctor felt confident that he'd recover fully if he took care of himself. Tony gave a sigh of relief and turned and gave a thumbs up to Tim and Leanna.
Both Tim and Leanna gave equal sighs of relief and Tim immediately pulled out his phone to notify Abby and the others.
"We're leaving in the morning...yes, cleared it for Tim, Abby and Ducky to go with us. Ziva and my team will hold down the fort here...great. Yes, we'll be careful...promise, Boss," Tony said with a smile and then spoke more quietly into the phone. "Give Dad a hug for me... Love you, too... Yours, always...goodnight..." Tony whispered quietly and hung up. He turned to see Tim and Leanna giving him broad smiles.
"What?" he asked with a grin and then returned to their card game.
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"I was planning it as a surprise, son," Jack said for the third time to anyone who would listen. He'd been cleaning out his attic when he'd had his heart attack and was being scolded yet again by Leroy for taking on too much without enough help. It was fortunate that a neighbor he did have helping had come back for another load and found him unconscious and half out of the ceiling entryway. He'd called the ambulance that had taken Jack to the hospital. Jack knew better, of course, than to be doing any heavy lifting alone, especially with his bum leg, but he'd been looking for some more stuff that he thought Leroy would like to have. Stuff like his grandfather's civil war collection or his mother's china. It was all right there in the attic but it needed to be moved in keeping with his surprise. But his surprise wasn't the only one. It looked like there were surprises all around.
Tony put a hand on Jethro's shoulder when he looked like he was going to say something else. It was enough to settle him down.
"Well, I think it's great, Dad. I can't wait for you to come out and live with us," Tony said with a smile as he moved to sit in the chair next to Jackson's bed. He had Shelly with him and he began to bounce her a bit.
Jack smiled and reached out with his hand to touch the soft curls that had escaped from the two tiny pigtails Tony had put her hair in that morning. Jack wasn't the only one who loved her hair, Tony constantly fussed with it not only to keep it neat since the curls all had a mind of their own, but just because he loved to feel the soft embrace of the silken strands as they wrapped around his finger in tight pin curls. And Jethro, being the extremely tactile man he was, seemed to lose himself in the softness as he walked her through his basement explaining all of his tools to the fascinated little girl.
"Knew as soon as I saw her that I couldn't keep away. Thought I'd rent an apartment or something nearby so I could watch her grow up. And now you can't keep me away...twins, huh? God Almighty, that's wonderful news and a hell of a surprise. Beats mine hands down..." Jack said with a laugh.
Jethro watched his father with Shelly and he knew it would be good to have him close. Only he felt he needed to be closer still. He looked at Tony and got a nod.
"Dad, Tony and I don't want you to rent an apartment," he started but then reached out with a hand to touch his father's leg when he saw the flash of hurt. "Dad, we want you to live with us," he amended quickly.
"Live with you? You don't have room for me let alone all my junk..." Jack argued.
"We're looking for a larger house, Dad," Tony said gently. "We need it for the kids anyway and I would really be happier if you weren't alone. So will you?" Tony asked in his best wheedling tone and puppy dog eyes.
Jack looked at Tony and his eyes narrowed. Then he turned to Leroy. "Is there anything you ever say no to when he looks at you like that?"
Jethro grinned and glanced away for a bit but then looked at his Dad again. "Nope," was all he said.
Jack turned back to Tony. "Alright. I'd like to move in with you on one condition..." he said with a raised finger. "I get to pay for part of it."
Tony and Jethro looked at one another for a moment. It really wasn't necessary considering the huge pot of money they had just sitting there, but they also knew that Jack would consider anything less than paying his way to be charity and he'd want none of it.
"Done," Jethro said with a nod and with smiles all around they began to make plans. First and foremost was moving Jack to their current house in time for Shelly's first birthday party the following month. They were all really looking forward to it and Jack laughed heartily to the mild argument over the pony Tony wanted. He finally agreed to the logic of her being too young, the lack of other children and the fact that it was still the middle of winter.
"There'll be plenty of other birthday parties where ponies will be a given, baby," Jethro said soothingly to Tony's pout, "even if we have to put the pony in the garage." He was rewarded by that brilliant smile he loved. Jack just soaked it all in and relaxed a bit more with his boys as he healed.
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Tony rubbed his lower back and picked up a small container before he turned off the light in Dad's bedroom where Shelly, Jethro and he would be sleeping. Shelly was finally asleep in the travel crib and he hoped they'd be able to settle in later without waking her. It had been a long day between the travel to Stillwater and the visit to Dad at the hospital and he was tired. He made his way downstairs where Jethro, Ducky, Abby and Tim sat chatting around the kitchen table. Jethro looked up at him with a raised eyebrow which was his way of asking if Shelly had gone down alright. Tony smiled slightly and nodded. Jethro pulled out a chair and grabbed a cup to pour Tony some of the hot chocolate Abby had made. Tony sat down gratefully and placed the container on the floor then sat back and sipped the sweet hot brew with a sigh.
Jethro looked at Tony with a critical eye. His boy was tired but he knew the day wasn't over yet. After he'd made sure for himself that Dad was okay Tony had given Jethro a look that said they were definitely talking tonight. Jethro sighed. He'd been waiting for this conversation but he sure as hell didn't need it on top of everything else, but he'd made the conscious decision to keep the information from Tony and now it was time to pay the piper.
The five chatted a bit more with Ducky relating some of the stories Jackson had shared with him about life in Stillwater and the early years of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. It was a relaxing conversation with a lot of laughter and some narrowed eyed looks at Ducky who blithely ignored each and every one. It didn't take long, though, before everyone admitted fatigue and they slipped off to the various rooms where they'd chosen to sleep. Abby felt that she'd struck the jackpot when she'd gotten Jethro's old room and Jethro worried slightly over what childhood memorabilia he might have left up there that would come back to haunt him. It really didn't matter, though, since they were his family and they'd already seen Bear.
When the door to the den finally closed which meant Tim had settled in for the night and Jethro had finished putting away the last freshly washed cup he turned from the cabinet to see Tony looking at him with his arms crossed.
"What?"
"You know what," Tony replied with a serious look and Jethro rolled his eyes. "I want to know everything you know and then I want to know why."
Jethro ran a hand over his face and wished at that moment he had a sanding block in his hands. It always seemed easier to form personal thoughts when his hands were occupied.
Without a word Tony bent down and grabbed the container he'd brought with him. He knew Jethro was under a lot of stress and since he couldn't bring Jethro's boat with him on this trip, the container of play doh seemed like an acceptable substitute. He opened it up and pulled out a bright orange blob. He tore off a piece and began to knead and roll out small sections. He looked up when Jethro had yet to start talking only to find those blue eyes staring at him in wonder.
He picked up the main blob and tore it in half and offered it to Jethro. After a moment Jethro took it from his hand, sat down and began to dig his thumbnail into it over and over and then he smoothed out all of the little curved indentations. He rolled it in between his palms as he explored it's texture and elasticity.
"Fornell came to tell me about DiNozzo..." he began as he formed a small shape that looked something like a canoe. Slowly everything he knew and felt came out with small pauses in between as they questioned one another on their creations. Jethro eventually confided his worries about Tony's health and the health of their babies if Tony was under too much stress.
"It's more stressful to think you feel you need to protect me. Jethro, I'm an adult. Yeah, I'm pregnant but I'm still a man and a trained Federal Agent to boot. I can't be effective if you withhold information, all information...even if it's only your gut giving it to you. I've worked with you long enough to trust your gut as much as my own. And I need you to trust me."
"I do trust you, Tony," Jethro said. "But I do feel the need to protect you, too. I can't help that and I do recall a time when you tried to protect me," Jethro paused as Tony looked away. He reached over and pulled Tony's face back to his own. "It's how we feel about each other and it's good. But you're right, Tony, you deserve to know. I was going to tell you everything after your appointment with Stan but I had no proof other than my gut and then I got the call about Dad. I'm sorry..."
Tony began the usual response about apologizing but Jethro placed a finger over his lips.
"It's not a sign of weakness between family and friends. I am sorry," Jethro said and Tony nodded then leaned in for a gentle kiss.
Jethro pulled back and looked down at a couple of pieces lined up in front of Tony. "What's that?" he asked pointing to one.
"It's a banana, and this is an apple," Tony said pointing to a little orange ball shape. "I'm trying to make a pineapple right now but I can't get the leaves right..."
"Why not make an orange...it's the right color," Jethro added.
"Nah, too obvious. You've got to work your way around things."
"Like your husband's inability to communicate?"
"Yeah, like that," Tony said with a smile and just like that Jethro knew he'd been forgiven and he realized he'd needed it. He'd spent far too many years with his thoughts locked in his head and he was realizing how good it felt to be able to share them.
Tony yawned so, in an unspoken mutual decision, they destroyed all of their creations while Tony muttered lines from old Godzilla movies and then they quietly went to bed.
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Gianni lowered his binoculars and leaned his head back. This trip to see Anthony and his son was exhausting him but he'd caught a glimpse of them both and he was furious. That bastard Anthony had his son looking like a girl! He had watched as Anthony, who fucking looked like he was pregnant again, pulled a cake-covered shirt over his son's head and then started to rub a cloth over his face to clean up whatever mess there was. But all those curls...damnit! What the fuck was he thinking? And he didn't even want to think about the fact that Anthony had gotten an annulment. What had Gina said? Because he was a fugitive from the law and there was a history of abuse he had ample grounds for the judge to approve it. Fucking bullshit!
Tony laughed at the huge mess Shelly'd made of the table and herself when she'd dug into her first birthday cake. He actually had bought a really pretty little green dress with tiny yellow rosebuds sewn into it for the occasion but Jethro had talked him out of letting her wear it and now he realized how right Jethro had been. The frosting alone would have completely ruined it. So instead he'd put her in his second favorite outfit, tiny little jeans with the little red Levi's tag at the back pocket that just cracked him up every time he saw it and the grey sweatshirt with bright red Ohio State emblazoned across the front. Now, though, he was going to give her a quick bath and then she could wear her new dress. He took her upstairs while Jethro finished the clean-up in the dining room.
Gina looked at Gianni and saw how upset he was. She knew she shouldn't have brought him here...he wasn't strong enough, yet. But he was making all the decisions now. She knew he was also back in business even if she wasn't involved in that in any way. They were still keeping a very low profile and she knew that he was keeping his name out of everything he did. So she just kept her head down did what she was told. She'd made all of the arrangements for the money drop to pay for DiNozzo's hit along with several other drops whose purpose she was ignorant of and Gianni had been really happy for awhile. But then she had to tell him that Anthony had not only terminated their marriage (which made her really happy), but that he had re-married which had again infuriated Gianni. To come here and find that whore pregnant again disgusted her and made Gianni even angrier. She wondered briefly if he was so pissed off he'd give himself a stroke. She had to get a hold of Carlo but he wasn't answering the cell phone she'd given him. Maybe he was too busy finding out about NCSI for Gianni. He said it was like CID but that hadn't made any sense to her either. But the information had made Gianni thoughtful and probably helped his plan but not hers. She wanted Anthony dead now. She looked over not realizing that every bit of longing for Gianni was right there in her eyes, but he didn't see it being focused instead on the people inside of the house. She dropped her eyes but saw Gianni's hand motion for her to drive, so she pulled out and turned left at the next corner to go back to their house.
Ziva laughed again at the mess. She pulled Damon by the hand towards the front of the house. She'd been watching out of the windows to the rear of the house out of habit noting that McGee and Gonzales were also keeping watch in between enjoying the festivities. Her lover (she was too uncomfortable to use ‘boyfriend' which to her sounded very juvenile), Damon Worth, was with her but he seemed to only have eyes for her instead of helping her watch. She smiled at that. It was working well between them, especially since he'd found another security position with much fewer travel requirements which suited them both.
"McGee," she said quietly as she approached the front window. There was a car pulling out and driving down the street. She watched as it turned left at the corner.
Tim heard his name being called and got off the phone. He saw the tail end of the car leaving and turned to Ziva.
"Got the plate number, running it now. There were two individuals inside, pretty bundled up so I don't know their genders. Too far to see what they were doing but they were only there for a couple of minutes before they pulled out."
"It is a sedan, possibly the one that was here before. Damon and I will see if there are any impressions but it is doubtful with the flush on the ground."
Damon smiled down at the little wildcat he was in love with. Everything about her turned him on, even her problems with English. "Slush, honey," he said with a smile.
Ziva rolled her eyes and looked up into Damon's smiling blue eyes and couldn't help but smile back. Then she pulled him by the hand to go out and investigate.
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Later that day while those that remained after the party socialized, Jethro and Tim sat in the kitchen reviewing the information they'd gotten off the plate number. As Ziva had predicted, the ground was too slushy for imprints.
"Evan Godwin...registration's expired on the car. Let's look at him...Godwin is ex-Army, less than exemplary service record...he was a medic. Nothing since he separated. Picked up twice in the last six months for starting bar fights...some history of drug use but it looks like his problems stem more from alcohol. Address listed is probably old but we'll check it out. Don't see much else on him, Boss," Tim concluded as he looked back at Gibbs who was still reading over his shoulder. "I've put a BOLO out on the car."
"Name doesn't mean anything to me..." Tony said as he walked into the kitchen with some empty glasses. Jethro had told him what was happening and Tony had been listening in while keeping an eye on Shelly although she was perfectly at home in her ‘amPa's' lap.
"You going to go check out that address?" Tony asked wanting desperately to go along but also knowing that Jethro would, quite rightly, put his foot down at that. Whoever had attacked their house that night had been armed. And even though Tony understood it intellectually, the fact that he couldn't go still pissed him off.
Jethro looked at Tony and knew exactly what he was feeling but there was nothing for it right now. He could send Tim and Ziva but he knew he wouldn't. "Tim and I'll go. Ziva stays here," he said leveling firm eyes at Tony.
Tony stared right back for a moment and then dropped his eyes with a small nod. Just because Jethro was right, it didn't mean he had to like it.
Tim and Jethro left after a couple of whispered conversations. Jethro kissed Tony on the cheek and gently caressed his stomach, then moved over to Shelly and kissed her on the head before he left. Tony watched them leave, blew out a quick breath and then turned back to the others.
Ziva now stood by the front window but Tony knew she and Damon would again perform another perimeter check. ‘Bee' (Abby) sat on the floor playing with her niece and Tony smiled. Shelly was learning names for things as she babbled away in her own little language. Dad was ‘amPa, and Abby was Bee. Tim still didn't have a name no matter how much Tony tried to get her to say Probie. Maybe it was too much like Abby's name, he wondered. At any rate, Jethro was Da'ee and so far Tony was a variation of Papa or Pop, both of which Tony could live with, although he had on more than one occasion caught Abby trying to teach Shelly to call him Mama.
Noting that Damon had gone outside to walk around Tony reached behind him to double check his own weapon wishing yet again that he could have been on Jethro's six. He sighed and returned to their guests.
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Jethro walked back into the house hours later and Tony could see that he was pissed. He found out that the address was no longer any good and they hadn't been able to locate him at all. He was still giving Tim and Ziva instructions as he kissed Tony and Shelly.
"Check every dumpster if you have to. I want Godwin found..."
"Yes, Boss," Tim answered as Ziva nodded. They left shortly after that.
Jack eyed his son and didn't like what he saw.
"What?" Jethro said in exasperation when he caught his father looking at him again.
"How do you know that fella's even involved? He was just sittin' outside of your house, wasn't he?"
"Dad, someone was watching us the morning we were attacked. It could have been the same car. There's no reason for anyone to just be sitting there," he said firmly. "I'm not taking any chances."
"Just seems you're sending those kids out to do the impossible. How are they going to find this fella?"
Jethro smiled. Yeah, sometimes he did expect the impossible. And more often than not, his team came through. But his Dad didn't know that. It used to be that his Dad just pissed him off no matter what he said. Now Jethro found himself working to actually say what he was thinking. He knew his Dad hadn't changed...it had to be him. And the only reason for that change in him was sitting on the couch holding their daughter's hand while she practiced walking.
"Dad, they're trained investigators. They'll talk to anyone in the last area Godwin was known to be, they'll check out the bars where he got into trouble. There are lots of ways to find leads. They're good at what they do. They'll find something."
"Well I hope so, for all our sakes," Jack said with a harrumph and Jethro agreed.
Chapter 37
Two days later Gina sat in the tiny living room while yet another man she'd never seen before talked privately with Gianni in the bedroom. He'd shown up shortly after she'd given Gianni yet another pre-paid cell phone she'd bought and he'd told her to get out. She sipped some coffee while she waited and played with one of the phones. She was surprised to see some games loaded even if they were just demos. She was considering downloading one when she heard another car off in the distance. She moved to the window and recognized the sedan. It was Carlo.
Carlo saw the black SUV parked out in front and decided he didn't need to meet the owner. He saw Gina come outside so he waited for her to come to him.
"What're you doing here, Carlo?" she whispered anxiously as she approached Carlo.
"Wanted to talk to you about those plans..."
"Shh!" Gina hissed. "Not here...come on..."
Gina pulled Carlo by the hand until they were at the side of the house. The man who'd come in had marched directly into the back bedroom as if he owned the place so she figured he'd been there before. He hadn't said anything to her then so she doubted he would look for her when he left. She just needed to be within ear shot if Gianni called for her. She paused outside of the kitchen window figuring that she'd be able to hear if Gianni wanted her.
With a finger to her lips she listened for a bit and not hearing anything, decided it was alright. She didn't want Gianni to know Carlo was there. She never knew what would set him off anymore. She fingered the slight bruise that was still on her cheek. Just seeing Anthony the other day had pissed Gianni off so much he'd slapped her a couple of times once they were back at the house. Like she had any control over what that bastard did! It was after that that she'd called Carlo and told him that she wanted him to help her kill Anthony and take the baby. She figured Gianni was planning on killing Anthony himself, but she wanted it done sooner. Carlo might not have all the brains he used to before he joined the Army, but he had learned a thing or two and she figured she could get him to help her with this. And then, once she had the baby, she was sure her and Gianni could start a new life somewhere. She just couldn't get the information she needed to make her plans while Gianni kept her so close so she called Carlo for help.
They discussed their options without coming to any real consensus. They just didn't know enough about Anthony's schedule to determine when the best time would be to kill him and take the baby. Carlo said he knew a couple of people that worked in that area, maybe they could give him some more information. Gina thought about the pre-paid cell phones she'd bought. She'd picked up some extras and had been playing with one Carlo drove up. She reached into her pocket and pulled it out. Fortunately, Carlo had a pen in her pocket so she wrote down the phone number on her hand and then handed it to Carlo. That way she could contact him if she needed him.
Carlo smiled at the phone. Even if he didn't have anyone to call other than Gina, it was just a cool thing to have in his pocket, made him kind of feel as though he were like everyone else in the world with cell phones and money in their pocket, sort of like when he was still in the Army. He fit in. With a smile he told Gina he'd have something by the next time Gina needed supplies. Carlo left, walking quietly away feeling good but wondering what Constantino was up to.
Constantino had paid Carlo pretty good for the therapy stuff he'd built but he kept borrowing Carlo's car. Carlo knew he was back in business somehow so why didn't he buy his own car? Carlo hadn't said anything but he knew it was only a matter of time before he was stopped for expired tags. He scratched his head. He really needed to find Godwin but the fucker was usually drunk off his ass somewhere. Yeah, he told himself, he could find him and then maybe get him to sign over the car. And then he could use this place as an address and get the car in his name, real legitimate. Yeah, he was tired of living like this but he had money now. He could fix things so that he was like a regular person again. But he needed to find Godwin first. Oh well, even if the cops did stop him what's the worst that could happen? Probably just tow the piece of shit away...
Dan eased back from the kitchen window when it looked like the bitch's boyfriend was leaving. He'd heard her walk out the front door and had reported it to Mr. Constantino. He was told to find out what she was up to and he had, reporting everything he'd heard. He saw the anger flare in the dark eyes of the man he'd performed several special jobs for over the years. But one thing he'd learned on that very first job was that it wasn't good to be on the wrong end of Mr. Constantino's anger. Fingering the heavy gold ring he wore on his left hand he wondered if he'd kill her and her boyfriend before or after he did the other job. It didn't matter but it would be nice to play with that pretty little piece a bit before he got rid of her. It all depended on what Mr. Constantino wanted.
Gianni eased himself back onto the bed with a hand holding the deep depression in his stomach and side. He breathed through the pain and then forced himself to focus more on what Dan had said. So Gina thought she could take things into her own hands, huh? Planning to kill Anthony and take the baby, start a new life with him. Only problem was that she didn't take a couple of things into consideration. One was that seeing Anthony, no matter what condition he was in, had made Gianni want him again. He was a damn good looking man and he belonged to Gianni regardless of what some asshole judge had said. The second little thing Gina seemed to have overlooked was that Gianni was gay. And no matter what Gina wanted, fact was that Gianni did not want her. So now Gianni had to figure out what to do about her. She was still of use so killing her was out for now, but later it could be easily accomplished. He just had to be patient. And as for that idiot cousin of hers, he'd leave it up to Dan to make use of him. He motioned Dan closer and outlined what he wanted.
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Fornell looked at the latest report and shook his head. Another bombing killing selected businessmen with no apparent connection except that several of them were under suspicion of having mob ties. Two of them had been under investigation based on information found at DiNozzo's home as well as the anonymous package they'd received shortly after DiNozzo's imprisonment. He thought about his conversation with Jethro in the elevator. He'd denied having anything to do with DiNozzo's murder but Fornell had still gotten the impression that Jethro knew more than he was telling. But bombing? Fornell knew that Jethro couldn't have had anything to do with the latest incidents. No, Jethro was much more likely to shoot someone, not blow them to bits. But Fornell's gut was telling him that there was a connection here somewhere. He just needed to find it.
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"Gibbs, we have Godwin..." Ziva said as Tim drove her and Godwin back to NCIS for questioning.
"Get him here!" Gibbs ordered and then hung up. Ziva shrugged since there wasn't going to be much they could get out of him for awhile. Hopefully, he'll be able to sober up enough to take a bath before they had to interrogate him.
They'd found him dead drunk in an alley behind a dive so disgusting neither Tim nor Ziva even wanted to set foot in it. But they did and finally found someone who could tell them about Godwin. The bartender really didn't know much beyond Godwin's name but he'd pointed towards the back door and that's where they'd found him, unconscious under some cardboard. Ziva had laughed as Tim put on a latex glove to go through the man's pockets. He was so filthy they didn't even want to put him in the car but they had to find out what Godwin was doing at Gibbs' house.
"Where is he?" Gibbs demanded as soon as they got back.
"Tim is processing him into holding...he is unconscious..."
"He resist?" Gibbs asked with a raised eyebrow. Ziva got the impression he wished he'd been the one to put him in that state.
"No, he is intoxicated. We cannot question him until he is sober."
"Hell, just as well, we've got a case. Marine spouse was murdered. Grab your gear and get McGee. I'll call Ducky," he said and they each left.
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A few hours later Gibbs called holding only to be told Godwin was still sleeping. Good, he thought, thankful for the small reprieve. He wasn't ready to delve into Godwin's interview with this murder investigation in progress. The victim had been badly beaten and had bled to death. From what he saw it looked as though the victim's assailants had concentrated on his stomach and genitals. It had been very disturbing to all of them as they processed the scene. Knowing what they knew of the victim it had obviously been a hate crime and Gibbs was burning to find out who was responsible.
Gibbs was about to enter interrogation when he got a phone call from Ducky. If anyone else had been in the corridor they would have been surprised to see the normally pale man pale even further. His gut had been screaming at him that the man in the next room had nothing to do with David Timmon's murder. But he knew who, or at least knew a general profile of, the ones that did. And now, after speaking with Ducky, he was sure of it.
He entered the interrogation room and quietly sat across the table from the stiff man in uniform. He'd been found with the deceased's blood on his hands and on his uniform but had refused to speak from the moment he'd been picked up.
"Why don't you tell me about your relationship with David Timmons."
The Marine remained stoic, sitting ramrod straight in his chair and refusing to speak but a few moments under Gibbs' implacable stare changed that.
"You wouldn't understand, Sir."
"Why don't you try me?"
The Marine stubbornly repeated, "You wouldn't understand, Sir."
"Quit calling me ‘sir'. I was a Gunnery Sergeant."
That earned Gibbs a pained expression.
"No disrespect intended, Gunny, but I still don't believe you would understand."
Gibbs sat back for a moment. Corporal Derek Stevens had just lost his spouse who'd been beaten to death in a parking lot. Although he'd been found with Timmon's blood all over him, he bore no marks to indicate he'd been involved in a fight with the victim. Gibbs was trying to be gentle but he was sure that Stevens knew who had killed ex-Marine Lance Corporal David Timmons, Stevens' husband. Abby was still processing the evidence so they didn't have any suspects yet. His stomach churned and it was telling Gibbs that this was a hate crime but not only that...he believed that the suspects were not other civilians but Marines.
Recent changes to the nation's laws legalized marriage between two men. Gone was the ‘don't ask, don't tell' policy and subsequently, all of the military branches now had to accept same-sex marriages within their ranks. But, like all of the branches, the Marines were also scrambling to establish how they would deal with married males when both members were assigned to infantry, artillery and armor units, assignments normally prohibited to women. With the new policy allowing men to marry and especially with the possibility that one or even both members possibly choosing to have children, the brass was pulling their hair out trying to establish a whole new set of rules. But policy and actuality were two very different things.
Just as it was when women were first allowed to fill positions normally held in reserve for men, life for these pioneers was not easy. So, to avoid many of the complications, Stevens and Timmons had made a personal choice as several others before them had where one of them would separate from the Marines. In this case, it was David Timmons who elected to separate.
Gibbs watched the grieving man across from him and made a decision. Pulling out his phone he quickly speed-dialed a number. After a few moments the door to interrogation opened and Tony walked in, closing the door behind him. He remained standing near the door. He'd stopped by Jethro's desk to ask if he wanted to go to lunch and McGee had filled him in on the case. Then he'd gotten a phone call from Ducky to give him a head's up regarding what he'd just told Gibbs a few moments before knowing it would affect them both. Tony felt a pang of horror go through him. And Jethro was in talking to the husband. So when his cell phone rang it wasn't really a surprise to know his presence was needed. In fact, he was positive he didn't need to say anything at all but he was still sorry for what was about to happen.
"Derek, I want you to meet Special Agent Tony Gibbs, my husband."
Derek looked at Tony with such grief in his eyes that Tony almost ran over to him. Instead he tried to convey as much support and understanding as he possibly could.
"Corporal Stevens, I'm very sorry for your loss. You can be assured that Special Agent Gibbs will do everything in his power to find the men who did this."
"Derek, I wanted to make sure that you realize that I really do understand and, like Tony said, I will find the men responsible."
Throughout both Tony's and Gibbs' statements Derek never took his eyes off of Tony's belly although tears were now coursing down the grief-stricken man's face.
"Davey was only seven weeks along...he had a doctor's appointment at the clinic. I was supposed to go with him but I got hit with some extra duty so he went and called me to say he decided to do some more shopping for the baby on his own..."
"What duty were you assigned?"
Derek dragged his eyes away from Tony and wiped his face with a tissue from the box Gibbs wordlessly held out.
"I was told at the end of the day that there was a possibility of an inspection coming up from supply the next morning...I'm the unit's supply officer," he explained. "I was told to be ready for the inspection so I stayed to make sure."
"Who gave you the notice?"
"Sergeant Mullins, Gunny."
Behind the glass mirror Special Agent McGee left to look into that statement leaving Ziva to watch the rest of the interrogation.
"Derek, now I just need you to be honest with me here. Have you ever felt that you were pinpointed for additional duties? More so than any other guys in your unit?"
"Gunny, are you asking me if I felt I was being harassed for being gay?"
"Yes, I am."
"Of course I was, Gunny. But it wasn't unexpected. I was breaking all the old rules. I understood that and I accepted it."
"Did you ever report any of it?"
"Some questions were asked of me but no, I never stepped forward to report anything."
"That would be on the two occasions when you were sent for medical care. Why didn't you report it?"
Derek looked down and shook his head.
"I thought I could handle it, you know? I'm a Marine, Gunny, and I knew I was among the first to break tradition."
"But this went beyond harassment for breaking tradition. This is murder, Derek, and I believe you know who's involved."
"I know that, Gunny, but you need to understand something about me first. There are three things I loved in my life: my country, the Corps and Davey. Of the three I lost one and was betrayed by the other. But I will not return that betrayal."
"Derek, what you've got to understand is that the individuals who did this do NOT represent the Corps."
Derek looked around the room with a slightly wild look.
"All I have are suspicions...no proof!"
"Getting the proof is my job. I need those names."
"I'm not real sure about anything right now, Gunny. Let me think about it." Derek asked. "Please."
Gibbs stared at the man long and hard but all he saw was a grieving young man. "Alright," Gibbs agreed despite the fact that his gut was again twinging. "I'll have an agent take you home. Ya got someone to stay with you?"
"Yes, Gunny, my cousin lives here."
Gibbs nodded and both men stood. Tony straightened from the wall.
"Excuse me, Agent Gibbs...uh, Tony...?" Derek asked uncertainly when both Gibbs and Tony turned.
"Would you mind telling me how far along you are?"
"Three months on the eighteenth," Tony answered smiling gently with a glance at Gibbs. But with the twins he looked much further along. It was a running joke between them that it was getting harder and harder for Tony to pull his weight.
"Thanks," Derek said nodding and then he straightened. Together the three left the room.
"Boss," McGee said looking up from his terminal when Gibbs and Tony walked into the bullpen. "Two things. First David Timmons recently inherited a substantial amount of money from his late grandfather so the payments to Dr. Theurgenson's clinic are legitimate. The second thing is that there's nothing to indicate that any supply inspections were scheduled, either notice or no-notice," he said when Gibbs looked at him.
Gibbs nodded as though he'd expected that answer. "Bring Mullins in."
"On it, Boss," McGee replied as he grabbed his gun.
"I'm going to talk to his co-workers and commander." Gibbs said as he, too, grabbed his service revolver and badge. Although nothing said that Stevens still couldn't be behind the murder considering the amount of Timmons' inheritance and as Timmons' legal spouse he would get everything, but Gibbs gut told him that was wrong. He'd seen the way Stevens had looked at Tony and that grief in his eyes was real. Gibbs would stake his career on it. He gave Tony a squeeze to his arm and then left.
Chapter 38
Colonel Bill Jameson eyed NCIS Supervisory Special Agent Gibbs as he sat in front of his desk. He could tell that Gibbs was a man who'd seen a lot during his career, probably most of it unpleasant, too. This case could be no different. But he could also tell just how angry the man before him was. He could almost see it seething beneath the surface and he wondered if Gibbs was the right person for this investigation, fearing it just might be too personal. Nothing Gibbs had said or done indicated that he wasn't fully in control, it just seemed he was like an explosive, primed and ready to go, so Jameson watched him closely.
He hadn't been personally pleased with the passage of the recent law but only because he knew just how painful it was going to be to put it into practice, but he'd spent his life protecting the rights of his countrymen and he wasn't about to stop now. He'd been in service when women began taking on jobs that had previously been held only by men and a few incidents had been bad. But because of the negative press it would have engendered, it was kept pretty quiet. But this...this involved murder. He wasn't a fool and as disgusted as it made him feel, he knew that this case would not be the only one. He was just sickened that it had happened under his watch.
"I'm at your disposal, Agent Gibbs."
Gibbs thanked the Colonel as he sized him up. He needed to check out Mullins but he also wanted to know just how much the command structure of the unit had known about the harassment. He wanted...no, he needed...to know how widespread the hatred had been although he could guess. At the back of his mind he kept thinking about the hard road Tony had to travel to work in this world...hell, to just live in this world, and he had the sudden desire to try and talk Tony out of it. He wanted to gather him close and keep him somewhere safe. But he never would because it would seriously damage them both, possibly irreparably. He'd just have to make sure he was there beside him when it got rough because no matter what, he'd never fail him again.
By the end of all the interviews Gibbs' gut was telling him that the brass was clear, that the disgruntled Marines who'd harassed first Timmons and then Stevens had been limited to three. He was closing out the interview with Col Jameson when his cell phone rang. Gibbs excused himself and answered. In a heartbeat he was up and telling the colonel that he should come with him. Derek Stevens had taken Mullins as hostage. Ziva and McGee were on sight at one of the unit's storage facilities.
"Let's go, Gibbs," the Colonel said as he grabbed his hat.
"Derek, don't do this," Gibbs called from outside of the doorway. Derek Stevens held the gun to Mullins' forehead which was bleeding badly from the battering he'd received.
"Sorry, Gunny, but I have to. The Corps doesn't need animals like this and Davey and our baby didn't deserve what happened to them. Rogers and Stuart have paid for their actions...their betrayal...and now it's Mullins' turn."
"But you don't have to pay any more than you have already, Derek...you'll go to prison for this and isn't that a betrayal of Davey's memory? Of your child's?"
Gibbs saw Ziva moving into position at a side window. McGee was already in position near the interior door.
"Derek?" He called again as he leaned in to look, telling him that even if he didn't believe him at this moment that his life wasn't over, that there was always a second chance...
"There are no second chances! They took everything, Gunny. Everything..." and then the world exploded as several shots were fired seemingly at once.
Later it was determined that the first shot had been Ziva's when she'd seen Stevens push the barrel against Mullins' head. She hit him center chest but he was still able to pull his own trigger killing Mullins instantly. McGee shot a split moment later also hitting Stevens in the chest but to the left of Ziva's shot. Gibbs never fired his weapon.
Rogers and Stuart were later found sitting in a vehicle near the firing range with gunshot wounds to their heads.
Tony watched as Gibbs sanded a crosspiece later that night. He hadn't spoken very much and Tony knew that he was kicking himself for not holding Stevens in interrogation longer, maybe thinking that he could have talked him out of his final actions. But they both knew that Derek had set a course for himself from which he wasn't going to deviate. All Tony could do was what he'd done when he heard what had happened. He met Gibbs at the elevator and then pushed him back inside. Alone and with the stop on he had gathered his husband into his arms and just held him. As fucked up as it was, Tony knew that being a pregnant man made you a target for so many sick and demented people. Their family was, in fact, still a target if you thought about Gianni Constantino. He knew Gibbs still kept that thought at the back of his mind and had yet to let his guard down. Their lives were already dangerous because of their jobs and their personal choices had made it more so, but there was no other choice for them. Their answer, then, was to hold on to all of their precious moments together because you never knew when it would be suddenly taken away. As it had with Jethro's first family. As it had for Derek Stevens.
Tony flipped through another couple of pages of the magazine he held while he sat in the recliner Gibbs had brought down for him. He listened to the quiet hiss of the receiver in case Shelly woke up while he was in the basement with Gibbs but she slept quietly on. Dad was upstairs watching TV. He'd wait until Gibbs was ready to talk or just hold him if that was what he needed. Either way this, too, was a precious moment together and was not to be wasted with them apart wondering about what ifs.
Gibbs glanced over at Tony and his heart flipped again. It often did whenever he caught a glimpse of the man he loved more than life itself. Tony had known exactly what he needed when he'd returned to the office after the mess with Derek Stevens had been finished. His only regret was that he couldn't immediately take his husband and daughter home and show them how precious they were, how loved Tony and all the babies were. That had had to wait until the end of the day, after briefs had been given and reports had been completed. Director Vance had questioned why Ziva had aimed at Stevens' chest rather than take a head shot, one she could have made easily and might have precluded his shooting Mullins, but Gibbs shrugged and stated that she made a split moment decision and had shot at center mass rather than try for a trickier head shot. Gibbs stated that he'd of done the same thing. Leon had looked at him knowing that he was lying but not wanting to call him on it. He let it go and Gibbs knew that he'd made the smart decision. It would have turned ugly.
Then Gibbs had released his team and gathered up Tony. Within moments of stepping into their home they were together, breathing life into each other's hearts as they reaffirmed their love until Shelly loudly proclaimed her hunger. Later, after putting Shelly down and relaxing and eating a bit they'd gravitated towards the basement, Tony knowing and understanding Gibbs' need to continue healing in a way that only working on his boat could accomplish.
But what Tony didn't know and Gibbs was not sure if he'd ever bring up was that he was remembering the moments when he'd shot the drug dealer responsible for Shannon and Kelly's deaths. He'd been living for that moment but once it was done a numbness seemed to envelope him that lasted long after he saw that bastard's head fly backwards in a cloud of red. And he remembered the moment when he'd held the gun in his hand and he'd emotionlessly contemplated ending his own life. The only thing that had stopped him was the errant thought that it would be hard for his Dad to claim his body from the Mexican government. So he waited. Later, the numbness eased but the god awful pain returned and he wanted his gun to just end it as he tried to deal with the loss of everything in his life but it wasn't an option while he was in custody and that pain-in-the-ass Lieutenant investigated him. When it was over Mike Franks came to him with a job offer and he took it until he could figure out what he was going to do. Yeah, he'd contemplated it more than once afterwards, but he realized he'd lost the chance when he failed to pull the trigger in Mexico. He still isn't sure if he'll ever tell his Dad that he was the reason he'd stopped that day but he thanked God that he had.
Oh, yes, he understood completely what Derek had been going through and to be honest, if anyone had tried to tell him then that he'd find love again, that he'd have another family that gave him a reason to live like he tried to with Derek, he wouldn't have believed it either. But its true, while there's life there are possibilities. He glanced over at his second chance and smiled as he pushed the sanding block along the grain and then followed it with his hand feeling the smoothness of the wood under his fingers. He suddenly had the urge to feel the smoothness of Tony's skin once again. He'd had enough. Setting the block aside he walked over to Tony and put out his hand. Tony looked up and smiled. Together they ascended the steps.
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Gibbs sat across the table from a very hung over but thankfully clean Evan Godwin. So far he hadn't been able to get anything even remotely useful from the man who'd been living on the street for months. He'd denied knowing Gibbs, and Gibbs believed this since he had no recollection of ever coming across Godwin either, and it was the same for Tony. So why had he been driving down Gibbs' street?
"Wasn't me, told you that. Think I'd be sleeping under cardboard if I still had a car?" he asked plaintively. "Can I have some more coffee?"
Gibbs ran a hand over his face and then slammed it down on the table. "I'll get you some more coffee if you can tell me what happened to your car!"
Godwin jumped and stared at the mean old bastard who was now standing in front of him. "I don't know!" he wailed. "Somebody borrowed it, maybe stole it...I don't remember!"
"So are you in the habit of just giving away your possessions? Are you that much of a Good Samaritan?"
"No...I knew him, I think. I think we served together," Godwin said into his shaking hands.
"Was he a medic like you?" Gibbs questioned further.
"Yeah, but there are a couple of us in this area, we served together..."
"Can you describe the man you gave your car to?" Gibbs asked knowing that McGee and David were taking all of this down.
"Dark...Was it Carlo? Or Jessie? One of those guys, they kinda looked the same...God, I just don't remember..."
Gibbs stood up knowing Godwin was useless for anything else at this point. He waved at the mirror and a moment later Ziva and McGee entered.
"Ziva, take him back to holding...get him some coffee and food and then you and McGee get me everything you can on everyone who served with him."
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Dan waited for Carlo about a mile out from the warehouse. He wondered slightly why Mr. Constantino had Carlo working for him. Carlo's brain had about turned to mush because of all the booze and drugs he did. He never even figured out that Dan had stolen that piece he kept under the seat of that shit car he drove. Maybe Carlo was there as a package deal with Gina. She ran all of Mr. Constantino's errands and probably knew about his deals but other than that he didn't know why Constantino kept her around, either. He knew for a fact that Constantino wasn't fucking her although she was a fine piece of meat. She wasn't his type, he thought with a sneer, so she must have some other use. He shrugged his beefy shoulders. It really wasn't his concern, wondering about it just passed the time until Carlo showed up. Then he'd set into motion the final job Constantino had for him.
He thought about the kid he'd shot with Carlo's gun. He usually enjoyed his line of work but the random killing of a sailor or Marine that Constantino ordered wasn't his style. But it was a means to an end. He did have fun with the earlier jobs he'd done for Constantino, though. Killing all of those mob guys had left the Families running around in circles with the FBI on their tails. And he'd been careful just like always. There was no way they could trace those jobs to him. But it wasn't the FBI he worried about, it was the Families that would come after him if they knew and he simply was not going to put himself in that position.
He looked at his watch again. Soon he'd finish up here and disappear for awhile. Constantino had paid very well for his work and he figured that since Constantino had his organization back on line there might be more jobs for him further down the road. And if Gina was still around he might have that chance to get at her after all. And with that pleasant fantasy he continued his wait.
Carlo finally arrived and he walked over and got into the car with him. Carlo seemed nervous but Dan ignored that as he directed him over to the warehouse he'd selected. Pointing off to the side he had Carlo park the car.
Carlo looked at the man he was sure was doing some dirty stuff for Constantino. He'd seen killers before while he hung around in the streets and this guy was definitely one of those. What were they doing out here in the middle of nowhere? He looked at the row of storage buildings and something clicked in his head. This wasn't good. It wasn't good for him. Did Gianni learn about Gina's plan? But he was going to kill Anthony anyway, wasn't he? But maybe not and now he was going to get rid of him and probably Gina, too. He began to panic. He needed to get away, just get away. He parked the car where Dan told him and then immediately jumped out. The guy, Dan, yelled ‘hey' but he walked around to the back and kept walking, his gut telling him this wasn't good and then he remembered having the gun under the seat. Why didn't he grab it? What the fuck was wrong with him? Carlo turned as though wanting to go back for it but Dan was getting out of the car so he started to run the other way. What was he going to do? He had his hand in his pocket and he felt the cell phone. He could get away, call Gina. She could talk to Constantino, talk him into stopping whatever it was that Dan was going to do.
Dan got out of the car. He was pissed off. What in the hell was Carlo doing? It didn't matter though, whether he shot him in the car or not he could still make it look like he'd offed himself. He walked around the car and pulled Carlo's gun out of his pocket but the asshole started to run. Shit. Dan took off after him and caught up quickly. He reached out and grabbed Carlo by the collar of that filthy old Army field jacket he wore and spun him around and punched him once.
Carlo's arms flew out when Dan caught him. Neither man noticed the cell phone that was clenched in his fist fly off when Dan punched him. Carlo just crumpled and Dan cursed as he lifted the body up and over his shoulder to carry it back to the car. A few minutes later Carlo was back in the driver's seat only this time he'd never get out again. The gun was in his right hand which lay quietly on the seat next to him. Dan worked around the messy bits of flesh and bone for a bit but he was very quick. He'd had lots of experience at this sort of thing. Then, satisfied with his job, he closed the door one final time and walked back to his SUV.