Fic: La Belle Dame Sans Merci [9/13]
Title: La Belle Dame Sans Merci
Author: Jo. R (driftingatdusk)
Rating: FR-15
Category: Drama, Angst, Action, Case-file, Romance, Friendship
Pairing: Abby/Gibbs
Spoilers: Mild for 'Child's Play', 'Hiatus', 'Rule 51'
Summary: When a friend is murdered, Abby will stop at nothing to get revenge.
Authors Note: Sorry for the gap in posting; real life got in the way.
****
Tony and Ziva made their way to their pre-arranged appointment with the manager at the motel the Summers had escaped to. They didn't speak in the car, both uncomfortably aware of what their visit would do to Abby if she knew about it.
They hadn't asked what had taken place between Abby and Gibbs in the stairwell at NCIS, hadn't pressed either of the people involved for an answer. All they knew was that Abby had handed the NSA side of the investigation over to Agent Kelly and had rejoined it firmly on NCIS's side. She had no intention of going back to her lab for the remainder of the case and neither Gibbs nor Vance said anything to say they expected her to.
Their worry for their friend grew as they noticed the distance she tried to put between herself and everyone else, distance Gibbs was obviously doing his best to overcome. It was disturbing to them to see their boss and forensic scientist struggling to keep up the pretence that everything was okay between them when it was obvious something fundamental had changed.
Tony, Ziva and McGee could only hope that whatever it was wouldn't remain a problem long after the case was closed.
The motel manager was waiting for them outside when they arrived. Harry Keating, an older gentleman who took an immediate liking to Ziva, was more than willing to help with their investigation and was evidently concerned when Ziva handed him a photograph of is former guests in their bruised and battered state.
"They didn't look like that when they checked in," Harry denied, shaking his head vehemently. "They were as healthy as you or I. A little subdued but the wife said they were in town for a friend's funeral so I figured that was what was wrong."
"Mr and Mrs. Summers were unharmed when they got here?" Ziva exchanged a long look with Tony. "Did they seem worried in any way? Concerned, perhaps, that they may have been followed?"
Harry shook his head again and handed the photograph back. "They didn't seem concerned about anything like that. I remember they paid cash up front for three days but left credit card details as a guarantee for the room. Opted for express checkout so they just had to drop the key through the slot by midday without having to worry about getting caught up in a queue."
"Would you have a record of their credit card details even if you had no reason to use it?" Tony gave him a winning smile. "Anything that confirms they were here would be good."
"I've got the copy I took of their card and their initial reservation form. You can have copies of both of those." Harry moved to an antiquated filing system Tony was sure would have the technically minded McGee in tears. "Thinking about it," Harry continued thoughtfully, "we should still have the security footage of them checking in. My son-in-law installed the system, insisted I should have it since I won't retire like my daughter says I should. I could look and see if the tapes have been reused if you like?"
Ziva rewarded him with one of her brightest smiles. "That would be wonderful, Mr. Keating. Thank you."
The old man blushed under the weight of her appreciate and Tony forced a cough, turning his head to hide his smirk. "Not a problem at all, Agent David. I'm happy to help."
Less than an hour later, the duo left with the CCTV footage and copies of the records Helen and Rob Summers had signed.
****
Abby paced the length of the squad room, a thin paper folder crumpled in a clenched fist as she waited for McGee. She glared at anyone who stopped to speak to her, regardless of whether they were NCIS, NSA or just Ben the mailman. When the technical minded member of Gibbs' team returned to the squad room after a short break, he either didn't notice the sympathetic looks of the other agents working around him or simply didn't realise they were for him.
She waited until he sat down at his desk, leaning over him once he had. McGee swallowed reflexively and looked up at her, guilt visible in his eyes. "You have something you want to tell me, McGee?"
McGee held himself still against the urge to shake his head. "Not... Not that I know of."
"Really?" She let one arm rest casually over the back of his chair, effectively trapping him between the desk and herself.
"Um, yeah. Really." McGee jumped when she slammed her hand down on his desk, leaving the crumpled piece of paper behind when she withdrew it. "I don't know what... oh."
The printed ink on the paper was all too familiar to him and McGee shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"Oh? Is that the best you can do?" Abby's voice was a low hiss, the anger he could hear in it almost as foreign to him as the way she was acting. Like a female Gibbs, McGee mused, when he was being given the run around by a suspect in interrogation.
Looking around, McGee felt his palms begin to sweat. There was nothing to distract her with, no one around to divert her attention. "It's not what it looks like. Well, no, it's exactly what it looks like but I can explain..."
"You can?" Abby's eyes flashed with a cold fury but he could still see the hurt in their depths and that was what bothered him the most. "You can tell me why you went behind my back, ran a check on the finances of two victims, treating them like suspects?" She waited a beat. "C'mon, McGee, I'm waiting for the great explanation. Why did you run a check on Helen and Rob's financials?"
"He ran it because I asked him to." Gibbs appeared in front of his younger agent's desk, meeting Abby's hurt, accusing stare instead of acknowledging the relief on McGee's face. Tony and Ziva stood behind him, their expressions as grim as his. "I know you're upset, Abby, but you're gonna want to see what we've got."
Eying the folder in his hand with wary suspicion, Abby let her arm drop from McGee's chair and stood up straight. "This better be worth it."
****
Author: Jo. R (driftingatdusk)
Rating: FR-15
Category: Drama, Angst, Action, Case-file, Romance, Friendship
Pairing: Abby/Gibbs
Spoilers: Mild for 'Child's Play', 'Hiatus', 'Rule 51'
Summary: When a friend is murdered, Abby will stop at nothing to get revenge.
Authors Note: Sorry for the gap in posting; real life got in the way.
****
Tony and Ziva made their way to their pre-arranged appointment with the manager at the motel the Summers had escaped to. They didn't speak in the car, both uncomfortably aware of what their visit would do to Abby if she knew about it.
They hadn't asked what had taken place between Abby and Gibbs in the stairwell at NCIS, hadn't pressed either of the people involved for an answer. All they knew was that Abby had handed the NSA side of the investigation over to Agent Kelly and had rejoined it firmly on NCIS's side. She had no intention of going back to her lab for the remainder of the case and neither Gibbs nor Vance said anything to say they expected her to.
Their worry for their friend grew as they noticed the distance she tried to put between herself and everyone else, distance Gibbs was obviously doing his best to overcome. It was disturbing to them to see their boss and forensic scientist struggling to keep up the pretence that everything was okay between them when it was obvious something fundamental had changed.
Tony, Ziva and McGee could only hope that whatever it was wouldn't remain a problem long after the case was closed.
The motel manager was waiting for them outside when they arrived. Harry Keating, an older gentleman who took an immediate liking to Ziva, was more than willing to help with their investigation and was evidently concerned when Ziva handed him a photograph of is former guests in their bruised and battered state.
"They didn't look like that when they checked in," Harry denied, shaking his head vehemently. "They were as healthy as you or I. A little subdued but the wife said they were in town for a friend's funeral so I figured that was what was wrong."
"Mr and Mrs. Summers were unharmed when they got here?" Ziva exchanged a long look with Tony. "Did they seem worried in any way? Concerned, perhaps, that they may have been followed?"
Harry shook his head again and handed the photograph back. "They didn't seem concerned about anything like that. I remember they paid cash up front for three days but left credit card details as a guarantee for the room. Opted for express checkout so they just had to drop the key through the slot by midday without having to worry about getting caught up in a queue."
"Would you have a record of their credit card details even if you had no reason to use it?" Tony gave him a winning smile. "Anything that confirms they were here would be good."
"I've got the copy I took of their card and their initial reservation form. You can have copies of both of those." Harry moved to an antiquated filing system Tony was sure would have the technically minded McGee in tears. "Thinking about it," Harry continued thoughtfully, "we should still have the security footage of them checking in. My son-in-law installed the system, insisted I should have it since I won't retire like my daughter says I should. I could look and see if the tapes have been reused if you like?"
Ziva rewarded him with one of her brightest smiles. "That would be wonderful, Mr. Keating. Thank you."
The old man blushed under the weight of her appreciate and Tony forced a cough, turning his head to hide his smirk. "Not a problem at all, Agent David. I'm happy to help."
Less than an hour later, the duo left with the CCTV footage and copies of the records Helen and Rob Summers had signed.
****
Abby paced the length of the squad room, a thin paper folder crumpled in a clenched fist as she waited for McGee. She glared at anyone who stopped to speak to her, regardless of whether they were NCIS, NSA or just Ben the mailman. When the technical minded member of Gibbs' team returned to the squad room after a short break, he either didn't notice the sympathetic looks of the other agents working around him or simply didn't realise they were for him.
She waited until he sat down at his desk, leaning over him once he had. McGee swallowed reflexively and looked up at her, guilt visible in his eyes. "You have something you want to tell me, McGee?"
McGee held himself still against the urge to shake his head. "Not... Not that I know of."
"Really?" She let one arm rest casually over the back of his chair, effectively trapping him between the desk and herself.
"Um, yeah. Really." McGee jumped when she slammed her hand down on his desk, leaving the crumpled piece of paper behind when she withdrew it. "I don't know what... oh."
The printed ink on the paper was all too familiar to him and McGee shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"Oh? Is that the best you can do?" Abby's voice was a low hiss, the anger he could hear in it almost as foreign to him as the way she was acting. Like a female Gibbs, McGee mused, when he was being given the run around by a suspect in interrogation.
Looking around, McGee felt his palms begin to sweat. There was nothing to distract her with, no one around to divert her attention. "It's not what it looks like. Well, no, it's exactly what it looks like but I can explain..."
"You can?" Abby's eyes flashed with a cold fury but he could still see the hurt in their depths and that was what bothered him the most. "You can tell me why you went behind my back, ran a check on the finances of two victims, treating them like suspects?" She waited a beat. "C'mon, McGee, I'm waiting for the great explanation. Why did you run a check on Helen and Rob's financials?"
"He ran it because I asked him to." Gibbs appeared in front of his younger agent's desk, meeting Abby's hurt, accusing stare instead of acknowledging the relief on McGee's face. Tony and Ziva stood behind him, their expressions as grim as his. "I know you're upset, Abby, but you're gonna want to see what we've got."
Eying the folder in his hand with wary suspicion, Abby let her arm drop from McGee's chair and stood up straight. "This better be worth it."
****