Fic: Smoke and Mirrors [9/23]
Title: Smoke and Mirrors
Author: Jo. R (driftingatdusk)
Rating: FR-15
Category: Drama, Case-file, Romance, Angst, Action, Friendship
Pairing: Abby/Gibbs
Spoilers: Bloodbath, Hiatus 1&2, Murder 2.0, Broken Bird, Faith, Rule 51, Cracked
Summary: Someone from the past has a score to settle with the team.
Thanks to Lisa, as always, for proofing.
~*~
Part Nine
~*~
After a thorough examination of the Caf-Pow machine, it was confirmed that it was in full working order and couldn't be responsible for Abby's condition. Ducky's tests, however, confirmed that the the Caf-Pow they'd found in Abby's lab had been doctored with almost a fifth of the liquid's make up pure caffeine.
Realising it meant someone had doctored the drink after she'd bought it, the NCIS team reluctantly began investigating the only possibility left open to them: that someone within NCIS Headquarters, or with access inside the building, was responsible.
McGee settled himself in Abby's lab, the facial recognition programme running in the background as he and Ziva began the unenviable task of looking through hours of surveillance footage in the hopes that somewhere, someone would be noticed.
They both grew more and more disturbed by the footage, Abby's erratic behaviour undeniable as they watched it back. On more than one occasion it seemed like she was talking to someone who wasn't there, an uncomfortable reminder of a recent case they'd investigated.
It wasn't until the third day that they noticed a glitch in the time on the corner of the screen, suggesting that either the tapes had been tampered with or some sort of blocking device had been used to keep the cameras from recording in the lab at a certain time.
With Director Vance's permission, McGee acquired further surveillance footage, this time of the hallway outside the lab. As he and Ziva fast-forwarded the tapes to a few seconds before the timing glitch occurred, the computer in the lab beeped.
While Ziva stayed to review the video footage, McGee moved over to the computer to read what it said.
"We have a match," he called out, his voice surprised.
Her eyes narrowed and focused on the frozen image on the screen in front of her, Ziva identified him before McGee could tell her. "Tommy Doyle."
~*~
Her hand moved against his. Gibbs immediately turned away from the conversation in which Ziva and McGee were trying to explain how Tommy Doyle had been mistakenly released from prison in place of his cellmate and stared at Abby's face intently.
"Abby?"
Her fingers moved and her eyelids fluttered. She opened her eyes, confusion on her face. She looked around and, not recognising where she was or realising that the tube in her throat was helping her breathe, began to panic.
"Nurse!" Tony was up and out of his chair in an instant.
Gibbs, too, got to his feet but moved closer to Abby's side, tightening his hand over hers. "It's okay, Abby, you're in hospital. Try and keep calm. You're on a ventilator..."
Her gaze darted around the room once more before fixing on his face. She pulled the hand he held away, drawing his attention to it. As he watched, her fingers formed letters in quick succession. 'What happened?"
Saved from answering by the arrival of Martha and Doctor Taylor, Gibbs found himself ushered out into the hallway with the rest of the team. He ran a hand through his hair, relief at Abby waking up warring with anger at knowing who was responsible for it.
"We've got alerts out for Doyle," McGee reported after a momentarily pause. "The FBI are getting involved, too."
"That doesn't explain how he was able to get onto the Navy Yard without being detected," Gibbs ground out, his hand clenching into a fist at his side. "Especially not with security being as high as it has been recently."
"Maybe he had help," Tony suggested. "There were two people when I was attacked. Maybe whoever he's working with got him inside."
Mike chose that moment to join them, walking down the hall with a grim expression on his face. He met Gibbs' gaze. "There's someone who might be able to help you figure it out," he told them, holding out the item in his hand.
Abby's cell phone.
Frowning, Gibbs took it and lifted it to his ear. "Hello?"
"Agent Gibbs?" The voice on the other end was familiar but one Gibbs had hoped never to hear again in his lifetime. "It's Mikel, Mikel Mawher. Is Abby... Is she okay? He said he wouldn't hurt her, he promised..."
"Mawher." Gibbs' jaw tightened and he felt each of his agents look at him in surprise. "How are you involved in this?"
"Meet me and I'll tell you everything."
~*~
Her throat felt tender and bruised, her body aching all over. Still, Abby knew she was lucky to be alive and was grateful that she was. Her mind already felt clearer, the confusion that the caffeine overdose had created having almost completely disappeared.
"You should have told us Mawher was calling you," Tony chided her, his hand tightening around hers to take the sting out of his words.
Gibbs had left a few hours earlier saying he had something to do while the others had been ordered to continue the search for Doyle. Tony himself was still waiting to be cleared for duty and though he was itching to get back to work, he was pleased he had an excuse to stay at the hospital with Abby.
Shrugging her shoulders, Abby looked down at their joined hands. "It made sense not to, at the time. A lot of things that don't make sense now did. I thought I could handle it. I thought... I didn't think he could be related to everything that's going on."
"None of us would've done," Tony admitted. "How could we have known they'd have met in prison and formed a 'we hate NCIS' club?"
The corners of her mouth quirked at his words but the beginnings of a smile didn't amount to much. "I'm sorry, Tony. I know I should have told you."
"I forgive you," he reassured her kindly.
"Do you think Gibbs will?" Abby asked quietly. "He didn't look too pleased with me."
"He's worried about you, we all are." Tony met her gaze and shrugged. "To be honest, I think he's probably blaming himself more for not noticing you were ill than blaming you for not telling him. Plus you've got that other issue you guys need to resolve... You wanna tell me what that's about now, by the way? I think I deserve something..."
She shrugged again but managed to meet his eyes. "I made a mistake," she said eventually, her voice soft. "I thought... I thought for a moment he might feel the same way I do. I thought... That night we went to the bar, God, it feels like so long ago now... He took me home and I thought for a moment he was going to kiss me. He didn't. End of story."
"That's not the end of it," Tony said after a long pause. "You know as well as I do it's not. Tell me what happened, step by step."
Smiling a little in spite of herself at the way he perched on the edge of his seat, Abby shook her head. "You're far too interested in this to be normal, Tony."
He shrugged, unable to deny it. "You're a friend, he's a friend. I like it when my friends are happy so... Tell me. Maybe I can give you a guy's perspective on it."
Rolling her eyes, Abby recounted what she remembered of the evening, the way they'd been teasing, flirting, the way he'd moved closer and she'd leaned into him... and the way he'd pulled back so abruptly. When she finished, Tony just stared at her, an eyebrow arched.
"That's it?" He asked after a moment. "That's why you think he's not interested?"
"What do you mean 'that's it'? It's pretty obvious," Abby protested. "He had the perfect opportunity, Tony. If he'd wanted to kiss me..."
"He did! I wasn't there and I know that!" It was Tony's turn to roll his eyes. "Maybe it was the caffeine poisoning starting to take effect, Abby, but I think you're being too sensitive about it. I don't think it was an excuse, I think Gibbs probably did feel someone watching you guys. I wouldn't be surprised if it was Doyle, following one or both of you."
Realisation dawned in Abby's eyes and her jaw dropped. "You think there might have really been someone there? I hadn't made the connection..."
"Don't feel bad, Abby," Tony offered. "You'd probably had your first dose of extra-caffeinated Caf-Pow by then."
She paled at the thought of the drink she'd once loved so much, her stomach churning. "I think I'll take a break from all things caffeine related for a while. Just the thought makes me feel sick."
They lapsed into silence for a few moments, both taking a moment to be grateful that they'd survived. Tony looked up, seeing the worry in Abby's face, and knew she was thinking about their boss, too, and how he was no doubt the final target of Doyle and whoever he was working with. Before he could open his mouth to reassure her, the man in question walked into the room, followed by someone neither had ever wanted to see again.
"What the hell is he doing here?" Tony demanded, pushing his chair back as he stood.
Gibbs gave him a look that told him he wasn't happy about it, either. "He wouldn't talk until he'd seen her," he answered coolly. Turning to the man in question, he purposely blocked Mikel Mawher's view of Abby. "Now you've seen her, you can turn around and walk out of the room."
"What? No! I mean, Abby, please..." Mawher tried to get past Gibbs but the NCIS Agent wasn't moving. "You weren't meant to be hurt, Abby," Mawher called out over Gibbs' shoulder, desperately trying to get a glimpse of the woman behind him. "They promised you wouldn't get hurt!"
Before anyone could react, Gibbs had him by the throat and pushed him against the far wall, his grip tightening as Mawher struggled to get free. "She did get hurt, Mawher, she almost died. Now you've seen her, you're gonna walk out of here and tell me everything I need to know to make sure that doesn't happen again."
Paling at the look in Gibbs' icy gaze, Mawher could only nod his agreement.
Forcing himself to let go, Gibbs motioned to Tony. "Mike's outside, DiNozzo. Take him to him."
Tony didn't hesitate, grabbing Mawher roughly and pulling him from the room.
Alone, Gibbs crossed the room and sat down on the edge of Abby's bed, reaching out to take her hand when she said nothing. "I'm sorry," he apologised, breaking one of his own rules. "I wanted to warn you but he was insistent..."
Abby shook her head and tangled her fingers with his. "It's okay. If it means he'll talk and tell you where you can find Doyle..." She let one shoulder rise and fall. "You know you're going to be their next target. The sooner you get them..."
"I should've got them before they hurt you. I should've found them after Ziva was hurt."
"You couldn't. Besides, like Tony was just telling me, Doyle probably started doctoring my drinks before he tampered with Ziva's brakes." She squeezed his fingers, hating the self-recrimination on his face. "It's not your fault, Gibbs. None of this is."
He looked up and met her gaze for the first time since entering the room, the look in his eyes causing her own to widen slightly in surprise. "I don't know what I'd have done, Abs, if you'd..." Unable to continue, he lifted his spare hand to her face, cupping her cheek gently.
"I didn't. I'm still here." Leaning into his touch, Abby turned her head slightly, brushing her lips against his palm. "Gibbs..."
"I know, Abby." He moved his thumb, stroking the skin of her cheek softly before covering the distance between them, pressing his lips against her gently. Pulling back after too short a time, he sighed. "If I could stay..."
"I know," she murmured, repeating his words. "Go. Catch the bad guys. We can deal with everything else later. Just... stay safe."
He gave her a small, lopsided grin and reluctantly got to his feet. "I'll do my best."
Within a few minutes of him leaving, Tony returned, a questioning look on his face when he caught sight of the smile on hers. "So....?"
"So..." Her voice trailing off deliberately, Abby leaned back against the pillows, a contented expression on his face. "Looks like you were right after all."
~*~
Author: Jo. R (driftingatdusk)
Rating: FR-15
Category: Drama, Case-file, Romance, Angst, Action, Friendship
Pairing: Abby/Gibbs
Spoilers: Bloodbath, Hiatus 1&2, Murder 2.0, Broken Bird, Faith, Rule 51, Cracked
Summary: Someone from the past has a score to settle with the team.
Thanks to Lisa, as always, for proofing.
~*~
Part Nine
~*~
After a thorough examination of the Caf-Pow machine, it was confirmed that it was in full working order and couldn't be responsible for Abby's condition. Ducky's tests, however, confirmed that the the Caf-Pow they'd found in Abby's lab had been doctored with almost a fifth of the liquid's make up pure caffeine.
Realising it meant someone had doctored the drink after she'd bought it, the NCIS team reluctantly began investigating the only possibility left open to them: that someone within NCIS Headquarters, or with access inside the building, was responsible.
McGee settled himself in Abby's lab, the facial recognition programme running in the background as he and Ziva began the unenviable task of looking through hours of surveillance footage in the hopes that somewhere, someone would be noticed.
They both grew more and more disturbed by the footage, Abby's erratic behaviour undeniable as they watched it back. On more than one occasion it seemed like she was talking to someone who wasn't there, an uncomfortable reminder of a recent case they'd investigated.
It wasn't until the third day that they noticed a glitch in the time on the corner of the screen, suggesting that either the tapes had been tampered with or some sort of blocking device had been used to keep the cameras from recording in the lab at a certain time.
With Director Vance's permission, McGee acquired further surveillance footage, this time of the hallway outside the lab. As he and Ziva fast-forwarded the tapes to a few seconds before the timing glitch occurred, the computer in the lab beeped.
While Ziva stayed to review the video footage, McGee moved over to the computer to read what it said.
"We have a match," he called out, his voice surprised.
Her eyes narrowed and focused on the frozen image on the screen in front of her, Ziva identified him before McGee could tell her. "Tommy Doyle."
~*~
Her hand moved against his. Gibbs immediately turned away from the conversation in which Ziva and McGee were trying to explain how Tommy Doyle had been mistakenly released from prison in place of his cellmate and stared at Abby's face intently.
"Abby?"
Her fingers moved and her eyelids fluttered. She opened her eyes, confusion on her face. She looked around and, not recognising where she was or realising that the tube in her throat was helping her breathe, began to panic.
"Nurse!" Tony was up and out of his chair in an instant.
Gibbs, too, got to his feet but moved closer to Abby's side, tightening his hand over hers. "It's okay, Abby, you're in hospital. Try and keep calm. You're on a ventilator..."
Her gaze darted around the room once more before fixing on his face. She pulled the hand he held away, drawing his attention to it. As he watched, her fingers formed letters in quick succession. 'What happened?"
Saved from answering by the arrival of Martha and Doctor Taylor, Gibbs found himself ushered out into the hallway with the rest of the team. He ran a hand through his hair, relief at Abby waking up warring with anger at knowing who was responsible for it.
"We've got alerts out for Doyle," McGee reported after a momentarily pause. "The FBI are getting involved, too."
"That doesn't explain how he was able to get onto the Navy Yard without being detected," Gibbs ground out, his hand clenching into a fist at his side. "Especially not with security being as high as it has been recently."
"Maybe he had help," Tony suggested. "There were two people when I was attacked. Maybe whoever he's working with got him inside."
Mike chose that moment to join them, walking down the hall with a grim expression on his face. He met Gibbs' gaze. "There's someone who might be able to help you figure it out," he told them, holding out the item in his hand.
Abby's cell phone.
Frowning, Gibbs took it and lifted it to his ear. "Hello?"
"Agent Gibbs?" The voice on the other end was familiar but one Gibbs had hoped never to hear again in his lifetime. "It's Mikel, Mikel Mawher. Is Abby... Is she okay? He said he wouldn't hurt her, he promised..."
"Mawher." Gibbs' jaw tightened and he felt each of his agents look at him in surprise. "How are you involved in this?"
"Meet me and I'll tell you everything."
~*~
Her throat felt tender and bruised, her body aching all over. Still, Abby knew she was lucky to be alive and was grateful that she was. Her mind already felt clearer, the confusion that the caffeine overdose had created having almost completely disappeared.
"You should have told us Mawher was calling you," Tony chided her, his hand tightening around hers to take the sting out of his words.
Gibbs had left a few hours earlier saying he had something to do while the others had been ordered to continue the search for Doyle. Tony himself was still waiting to be cleared for duty and though he was itching to get back to work, he was pleased he had an excuse to stay at the hospital with Abby.
Shrugging her shoulders, Abby looked down at their joined hands. "It made sense not to, at the time. A lot of things that don't make sense now did. I thought I could handle it. I thought... I didn't think he could be related to everything that's going on."
"None of us would've done," Tony admitted. "How could we have known they'd have met in prison and formed a 'we hate NCIS' club?"
The corners of her mouth quirked at his words but the beginnings of a smile didn't amount to much. "I'm sorry, Tony. I know I should have told you."
"I forgive you," he reassured her kindly.
"Do you think Gibbs will?" Abby asked quietly. "He didn't look too pleased with me."
"He's worried about you, we all are." Tony met her gaze and shrugged. "To be honest, I think he's probably blaming himself more for not noticing you were ill than blaming you for not telling him. Plus you've got that other issue you guys need to resolve... You wanna tell me what that's about now, by the way? I think I deserve something..."
She shrugged again but managed to meet his eyes. "I made a mistake," she said eventually, her voice soft. "I thought... I thought for a moment he might feel the same way I do. I thought... That night we went to the bar, God, it feels like so long ago now... He took me home and I thought for a moment he was going to kiss me. He didn't. End of story."
"That's not the end of it," Tony said after a long pause. "You know as well as I do it's not. Tell me what happened, step by step."
Smiling a little in spite of herself at the way he perched on the edge of his seat, Abby shook her head. "You're far too interested in this to be normal, Tony."
He shrugged, unable to deny it. "You're a friend, he's a friend. I like it when my friends are happy so... Tell me. Maybe I can give you a guy's perspective on it."
Rolling her eyes, Abby recounted what she remembered of the evening, the way they'd been teasing, flirting, the way he'd moved closer and she'd leaned into him... and the way he'd pulled back so abruptly. When she finished, Tony just stared at her, an eyebrow arched.
"That's it?" He asked after a moment. "That's why you think he's not interested?"
"What do you mean 'that's it'? It's pretty obvious," Abby protested. "He had the perfect opportunity, Tony. If he'd wanted to kiss me..."
"He did! I wasn't there and I know that!" It was Tony's turn to roll his eyes. "Maybe it was the caffeine poisoning starting to take effect, Abby, but I think you're being too sensitive about it. I don't think it was an excuse, I think Gibbs probably did feel someone watching you guys. I wouldn't be surprised if it was Doyle, following one or both of you."
Realisation dawned in Abby's eyes and her jaw dropped. "You think there might have really been someone there? I hadn't made the connection..."
"Don't feel bad, Abby," Tony offered. "You'd probably had your first dose of extra-caffeinated Caf-Pow by then."
She paled at the thought of the drink she'd once loved so much, her stomach churning. "I think I'll take a break from all things caffeine related for a while. Just the thought makes me feel sick."
They lapsed into silence for a few moments, both taking a moment to be grateful that they'd survived. Tony looked up, seeing the worry in Abby's face, and knew she was thinking about their boss, too, and how he was no doubt the final target of Doyle and whoever he was working with. Before he could open his mouth to reassure her, the man in question walked into the room, followed by someone neither had ever wanted to see again.
"What the hell is he doing here?" Tony demanded, pushing his chair back as he stood.
Gibbs gave him a look that told him he wasn't happy about it, either. "He wouldn't talk until he'd seen her," he answered coolly. Turning to the man in question, he purposely blocked Mikel Mawher's view of Abby. "Now you've seen her, you can turn around and walk out of the room."
"What? No! I mean, Abby, please..." Mawher tried to get past Gibbs but the NCIS Agent wasn't moving. "You weren't meant to be hurt, Abby," Mawher called out over Gibbs' shoulder, desperately trying to get a glimpse of the woman behind him. "They promised you wouldn't get hurt!"
Before anyone could react, Gibbs had him by the throat and pushed him against the far wall, his grip tightening as Mawher struggled to get free. "She did get hurt, Mawher, she almost died. Now you've seen her, you're gonna walk out of here and tell me everything I need to know to make sure that doesn't happen again."
Paling at the look in Gibbs' icy gaze, Mawher could only nod his agreement.
Forcing himself to let go, Gibbs motioned to Tony. "Mike's outside, DiNozzo. Take him to him."
Tony didn't hesitate, grabbing Mawher roughly and pulling him from the room.
Alone, Gibbs crossed the room and sat down on the edge of Abby's bed, reaching out to take her hand when she said nothing. "I'm sorry," he apologised, breaking one of his own rules. "I wanted to warn you but he was insistent..."
Abby shook her head and tangled her fingers with his. "It's okay. If it means he'll talk and tell you where you can find Doyle..." She let one shoulder rise and fall. "You know you're going to be their next target. The sooner you get them..."
"I should've got them before they hurt you. I should've found them after Ziva was hurt."
"You couldn't. Besides, like Tony was just telling me, Doyle probably started doctoring my drinks before he tampered with Ziva's brakes." She squeezed his fingers, hating the self-recrimination on his face. "It's not your fault, Gibbs. None of this is."
He looked up and met her gaze for the first time since entering the room, the look in his eyes causing her own to widen slightly in surprise. "I don't know what I'd have done, Abs, if you'd..." Unable to continue, he lifted his spare hand to her face, cupping her cheek gently.
"I didn't. I'm still here." Leaning into his touch, Abby turned her head slightly, brushing her lips against his palm. "Gibbs..."
"I know, Abby." He moved his thumb, stroking the skin of her cheek softly before covering the distance between them, pressing his lips against her gently. Pulling back after too short a time, he sighed. "If I could stay..."
"I know," she murmured, repeating his words. "Go. Catch the bad guys. We can deal with everything else later. Just... stay safe."
He gave her a small, lopsided grin and reluctantly got to his feet. "I'll do my best."
Within a few minutes of him leaving, Tony returned, a questioning look on his face when he caught sight of the smile on hers. "So....?"
"So..." Her voice trailing off deliberately, Abby leaned back against the pillows, a contented expression on his face. "Looks like you were right after all."
~*~