How To Relate: Chapter 9
Title: How To Relate
Author: justhowthisgoes
Fandom: NCIS
Category: Hurt/Comfort/Family
Pairing: None
Rating: T
Spoilers: Up to Season 7
Summary: Tony has been getting threatening letters and the team is worried, but Tony isn't taking them seriously. Then come the attempts on his life. Could the new girl at NCIS be involved? And what secrets from Tony's past will be revealed in the search?
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.
Chapter 9
What’s In A Name?
As Abby returned to the lab Tony gave a wide but weary grin.
"Ah, fair Abigail." He affected an old-timey, slightly British-sounding accent. "What say thou and I put together yon puzzle of metal?"
Abby laughed, and then looked more closely at his drawn face and the dark circles under his eyes. "Did you get any sleep last night, Tony?"
He shrugged, replying in his normal, albeit slightly hoarse, voice. "Some."
"Tony." Abby put her hands on her hips, managing to admonish him with just that one word.
Tony hastened to defend himself. "Well, sleeping's not the easiest thing to do in a hospital. Especially when people keep coming in and poking you every hour to make sure there's enough oxygen in your blood or something."
"Ouch." Abby winced sympathetically as Tony subconsciously rubbed his inner forearm.
"Tell me about it. Besides, you guys didn't get any sleep either."
"Yeah but we're not the ones who just got blown up." She pointed toward her futon in the back room. "Go take a nap."
"But Gibbs said I was supposed to help you."
"You can help me by taking a nap. You're of no use to me if you're dead on your feet." When he didn't move she made a shooing motion with her hands. "Go on."
"Yes, mom." Tony rolled his eyes as he complied. "Wake me up at 0630."
Abby held out. "0700."
"Fine." He paused at the door to the back room. "Oh, and if the Red Cross calls, you can tell them I've already donated."
Abby smiled and shook her head. Same old Tony.For the past hour, Abby had been absorbed in piecing together the scraps of the bomb, but now she was confused by something she'd found. It didn't make sense, unless…
"Tony!" She called. It was nearly 0700 anyhow.
"Yeah, Abbs. I'm right here." Tony poked his head out from behind her, making her jump a little.
"Oh. You're not supposed to be awake yet." She reproached. "And you shouldn't sneak up on people like that. Have you been taking lessons from Gibbs? Or Ziva?"
He grinned. "Just practicing my stealth. What've you got?"
"Well, what I definitely have not got is any sort of transceiver for a remote detonator. It looks like the bomb was wired to the radio."
"Ok." Tony raised an eyebrow inquisitively, not realizing why she thought that was significant.
"It's just that, I know you always listen to talk radio in the morning, so-"
"Abby! Shh!" Tony looked around uneasily. "I do have a reputation to maintain, you know."
Abby giggled. "Sorry. Anyway, I can't think of any reason the bomb wouldn't have gone off then. The mechanism was perfectly functional."
"Well, that one's easy. Yesterday I was on the phone all morning about my car. I didn't have the radio on for once."
Abby took that in, no doubt thinking about what may have happened if Tony had turned on the radio when no one was around to react as quickly as Ziva had. Then she unexpectedly threw her arms around him and hugged him tight.
"Tony?"
"Yeah?"
"I was really worried about you. I'm glad you're ok."
He smiled. "Yeah, Abbs, I know." They stood that way a few seconds longer before Tony gently detached himself from her grasp. "I'm gonna go let Gibbs know what you've found."
"'Kay."
After Tony left, Abby walked around her lab, checking on her babies that were running different tests. She paused at one machine which was running an unofficial test, as a favor to a friend, and gave it a pat, before turning to address them all.
"Ok you guys, listen up. I know you've been working really hard, and I appreciate it. I do realize this may be asking a lot, but maybe you can try to work just a little bit faster, please? We really need to find something on this case. It's important." She clapped her hands together. "Now, does anyone have any questions? You in the back? No? Alright. Good pep talk. Now back to work, all of you."McGee and Ziva had just returned from Stargrounds and Ziva appeared to be in a very black mood.
"We could not get the security footage, Gibbs. They said they would not let us even see it without a warrant."
"Ziva even threatened them, Boss." McGee put in. "They wouldn't budge."
"Well, get a warrant." Gibbs replied.
"Working on it, Boss."
Tony walked into the bullpen in the midst of this.
"Hey McGee, did you see that cute barista there? What's her name? It's something that repeats, right? Lulu, Cici, Zsa Zsa…"
"Gigi." McGee informed him.
Tony snapped his fingers. "That's it."
"Yeah, she was there. So what?"
"I bet I could've gotten her to let us see the footage."
Ziva scowled. "No, I do not think even you could have, Tony."
"The assistant manager happens to be a law student with an attitude and something to prove." McGee explained.
"Hmm." Tony considered this. "Female or male?"
"Who?" McGee asked.
"The assistant manager." He explained in a duh sort of voice.
"Female." McGee replied suspiciously, thinking he knew where Tony was going with this.
"Well," Tony tilted his head, a glint in his eyes. Yup. He was going there.
"Tony." McGee cut him short, exasperated.
"What?"
"You don't seriously think you can flirt the security tapes away from her?"
Tony straightened his collar and winked. "Maybe."
"You think I didn't try charm, Tony?"
Tony patted McGee on the shoulder. "Don't worry Tim, I'm sure you tried."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" McGee argued.
"Just, that…" Tony shrugged. "You know."
"No, I don't know."
"Well, it's just that I'm a little better at that sort of thing than you. Don't feel bad. You've got the computer thing. You-"
"DiNozzo!" Gibbs thankfully interrupted at that point before the discussion could turn into some macho contest of male dominance.
"Yeah, Boss." Tony turned his attention to the team leader.
"Have you got something?"
"Well, Abby says that the bomb was not detonated remotely. It was wired to the radio."
"So, whoever put it there wouldn't need to be within range for it to detonate." McGee reasoned.
"Right."
"But that still doesn't rule anyone out who was nearby." Ziva pointed out.
Deliberately misunderstanding her, Tony teased. "Is that a confession, Ziva?"
"I was referring to Ali, as you well know." She retorted.
Tony shook his head. "Nah, I think she's harmless."
Gibbs stared down his senior field agent. "She drove past your apartment four times last night, DiNozzo. That sound harmless to you?"
"Really?" He puzzled over that for a second. "Well, I guess that is kind of strange." Tony found himself wondering exactly how Gibbs had come about that knowledge, because that also seemed a little strange. "It doesn't actually prove anything, though."
Gibbs turned back to Tim.
"What've you got on her, McGee?"
"Putting it up on the plasma." He clicked the remote and a picture of Ali came up on the screen. "Alison Danielle Trahey, born December 18, 1983 in Oak Park, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. Mother deceased; and I couldn't find any information on her father." He shrugged.
"Go on." Gibbs folded his arms.
"She grew up in Oak Park with her grandmother, now deceased. She attended Illinois State University and switched majors several times before graduating with a double major in Journalism and Political Science."
"Well, if she has a degree like that, what is she doing working here, in the mail room?" Tony asked. The others turned to stare at him, pointedly. Was he really that thick or just in denial? "What? The economy can't be that bad."
McGee rolled his eyes before continuing. "She played point guard on the varsity basketball team and was once arrested for being drunk and disorderly. She and some teammates apparently t.p.'d their coach's house."
"What is 't.p.'d'?" Ziva asked, bewildered.
"Come on, Zee-vah. Toilet-papering? It's great. I'll have to show you sometime." Tony laughed a little. "Man. You know, that totally reminds me of something that happened to me and my frat buddies once. See it was the night before a rivalry game, and we-" he quailed at Gibbs' murderous glare. "It's… not important, Boss."
McGee continued. "She got community service for that, and other than that incident, her record is completely clean. Not even a speeding ticket. And I can't find a single connection to Tony."
"Perhaps he once dated her?" Ziva suggested.
"No. No way." Tony denied.
Ziva scoffed. "Are you sure? I know you cannot possibly remember every girl you have ever dated."
"Well, no, but I'd remember her, trust me." Tony insisted. "I told you guys she looks just like my cousin."
Gibbs looked up, narrowing his eyes as something in his gut reacted to that. It was the first he'd heard of this.
"Oh, yes. I forgot. Younger or older cousin?" Ziva asked.
"Older, by a couple of years. You'd probably like her, Ziva. She used to beat me up sometimes."
"Um, Boss?" McGee spoke up.
"You find something McGee?"
"Sort of. I was looking up her mother, Carol Trahey."
Gibbs walked over to the screen to take a closer look and Tony zoned out for a minute.
Carol Trahey. It was definitely ringing a bell. Now where did he know that name from? He looked up to see that he had completely missed McGee telling Gibbs what the connection was exactly. He frowned, about to ask McGee to repeat himself when Gibbs spoke first.
"Good work McGee. That's enough to question her. I want her in interrogation the minute she gets here."
"Got it Boss."
...
Chapter 10
Author: justhowthisgoes
Fandom: NCIS
Category: Hurt/Comfort/Family
Pairing: None
Rating: T
Spoilers: Up to Season 7
Summary: Tony has been getting threatening letters and the team is worried, but Tony isn't taking them seriously. Then come the attempts on his life. Could the new girl at NCIS be involved? And what secrets from Tony's past will be revealed in the search?
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.
Chapter 9
What’s In A Name?
As Abby returned to the lab Tony gave a wide but weary grin.
"Ah, fair Abigail." He affected an old-timey, slightly British-sounding accent. "What say thou and I put together yon puzzle of metal?"
Abby laughed, and then looked more closely at his drawn face and the dark circles under his eyes. "Did you get any sleep last night, Tony?"
He shrugged, replying in his normal, albeit slightly hoarse, voice. "Some."
"Tony." Abby put her hands on her hips, managing to admonish him with just that one word.
Tony hastened to defend himself. "Well, sleeping's not the easiest thing to do in a hospital. Especially when people keep coming in and poking you every hour to make sure there's enough oxygen in your blood or something."
"Ouch." Abby winced sympathetically as Tony subconsciously rubbed his inner forearm.
"Tell me about it. Besides, you guys didn't get any sleep either."
"Yeah but we're not the ones who just got blown up." She pointed toward her futon in the back room. "Go take a nap."
"But Gibbs said I was supposed to help you."
"You can help me by taking a nap. You're of no use to me if you're dead on your feet." When he didn't move she made a shooing motion with her hands. "Go on."
"Yes, mom." Tony rolled his eyes as he complied. "Wake me up at 0630."
Abby held out. "0700."
"Fine." He paused at the door to the back room. "Oh, and if the Red Cross calls, you can tell them I've already donated."
Abby smiled and shook her head. Same old Tony.For the past hour, Abby had been absorbed in piecing together the scraps of the bomb, but now she was confused by something she'd found. It didn't make sense, unless…
"Tony!" She called. It was nearly 0700 anyhow.
"Yeah, Abbs. I'm right here." Tony poked his head out from behind her, making her jump a little.
"Oh. You're not supposed to be awake yet." She reproached. "And you shouldn't sneak up on people like that. Have you been taking lessons from Gibbs? Or Ziva?"
He grinned. "Just practicing my stealth. What've you got?"
"Well, what I definitely have not got is any sort of transceiver for a remote detonator. It looks like the bomb was wired to the radio."
"Ok." Tony raised an eyebrow inquisitively, not realizing why she thought that was significant.
"It's just that, I know you always listen to talk radio in the morning, so-"
"Abby! Shh!" Tony looked around uneasily. "I do have a reputation to maintain, you know."
Abby giggled. "Sorry. Anyway, I can't think of any reason the bomb wouldn't have gone off then. The mechanism was perfectly functional."
"Well, that one's easy. Yesterday I was on the phone all morning about my car. I didn't have the radio on for once."
Abby took that in, no doubt thinking about what may have happened if Tony had turned on the radio when no one was around to react as quickly as Ziva had. Then she unexpectedly threw her arms around him and hugged him tight.
"Tony?"
"Yeah?"
"I was really worried about you. I'm glad you're ok."
He smiled. "Yeah, Abbs, I know." They stood that way a few seconds longer before Tony gently detached himself from her grasp. "I'm gonna go let Gibbs know what you've found."
"'Kay."
After Tony left, Abby walked around her lab, checking on her babies that were running different tests. She paused at one machine which was running an unofficial test, as a favor to a friend, and gave it a pat, before turning to address them all.
"Ok you guys, listen up. I know you've been working really hard, and I appreciate it. I do realize this may be asking a lot, but maybe you can try to work just a little bit faster, please? We really need to find something on this case. It's important." She clapped her hands together. "Now, does anyone have any questions? You in the back? No? Alright. Good pep talk. Now back to work, all of you."McGee and Ziva had just returned from Stargrounds and Ziva appeared to be in a very black mood.
"We could not get the security footage, Gibbs. They said they would not let us even see it without a warrant."
"Ziva even threatened them, Boss." McGee put in. "They wouldn't budge."
"Well, get a warrant." Gibbs replied.
"Working on it, Boss."
Tony walked into the bullpen in the midst of this.
"Hey McGee, did you see that cute barista there? What's her name? It's something that repeats, right? Lulu, Cici, Zsa Zsa…"
"Gigi." McGee informed him.
Tony snapped his fingers. "That's it."
"Yeah, she was there. So what?"
"I bet I could've gotten her to let us see the footage."
Ziva scowled. "No, I do not think even you could have, Tony."
"The assistant manager happens to be a law student with an attitude and something to prove." McGee explained.
"Hmm." Tony considered this. "Female or male?"
"Who?" McGee asked.
"The assistant manager." He explained in a duh sort of voice.
"Female." McGee replied suspiciously, thinking he knew where Tony was going with this.
"Well," Tony tilted his head, a glint in his eyes. Yup. He was going there.
"Tony." McGee cut him short, exasperated.
"What?"
"You don't seriously think you can flirt the security tapes away from her?"
Tony straightened his collar and winked. "Maybe."
"You think I didn't try charm, Tony?"
Tony patted McGee on the shoulder. "Don't worry Tim, I'm sure you tried."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" McGee argued.
"Just, that…" Tony shrugged. "You know."
"No, I don't know."
"Well, it's just that I'm a little better at that sort of thing than you. Don't feel bad. You've got the computer thing. You-"
"DiNozzo!" Gibbs thankfully interrupted at that point before the discussion could turn into some macho contest of male dominance.
"Yeah, Boss." Tony turned his attention to the team leader.
"Have you got something?"
"Well, Abby says that the bomb was not detonated remotely. It was wired to the radio."
"So, whoever put it there wouldn't need to be within range for it to detonate." McGee reasoned.
"Right."
"But that still doesn't rule anyone out who was nearby." Ziva pointed out.
Deliberately misunderstanding her, Tony teased. "Is that a confession, Ziva?"
"I was referring to Ali, as you well know." She retorted.
Tony shook his head. "Nah, I think she's harmless."
Gibbs stared down his senior field agent. "She drove past your apartment four times last night, DiNozzo. That sound harmless to you?"
"Really?" He puzzled over that for a second. "Well, I guess that is kind of strange." Tony found himself wondering exactly how Gibbs had come about that knowledge, because that also seemed a little strange. "It doesn't actually prove anything, though."
Gibbs turned back to Tim.
"What've you got on her, McGee?"
"Putting it up on the plasma." He clicked the remote and a picture of Ali came up on the screen. "Alison Danielle Trahey, born December 18, 1983 in Oak Park, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. Mother deceased; and I couldn't find any information on her father." He shrugged.
"Go on." Gibbs folded his arms.
"She grew up in Oak Park with her grandmother, now deceased. She attended Illinois State University and switched majors several times before graduating with a double major in Journalism and Political Science."
"Well, if she has a degree like that, what is she doing working here, in the mail room?" Tony asked. The others turned to stare at him, pointedly. Was he really that thick or just in denial? "What? The economy can't be that bad."
McGee rolled his eyes before continuing. "She played point guard on the varsity basketball team and was once arrested for being drunk and disorderly. She and some teammates apparently t.p.'d their coach's house."
"What is 't.p.'d'?" Ziva asked, bewildered.
"Come on, Zee-vah. Toilet-papering? It's great. I'll have to show you sometime." Tony laughed a little. "Man. You know, that totally reminds me of something that happened to me and my frat buddies once. See it was the night before a rivalry game, and we-" he quailed at Gibbs' murderous glare. "It's… not important, Boss."
McGee continued. "She got community service for that, and other than that incident, her record is completely clean. Not even a speeding ticket. And I can't find a single connection to Tony."
"Perhaps he once dated her?" Ziva suggested.
"No. No way." Tony denied.
Ziva scoffed. "Are you sure? I know you cannot possibly remember every girl you have ever dated."
"Well, no, but I'd remember her, trust me." Tony insisted. "I told you guys she looks just like my cousin."
Gibbs looked up, narrowing his eyes as something in his gut reacted to that. It was the first he'd heard of this.
"Oh, yes. I forgot. Younger or older cousin?" Ziva asked.
"Older, by a couple of years. You'd probably like her, Ziva. She used to beat me up sometimes."
"Um, Boss?" McGee spoke up.
"You find something McGee?"
"Sort of. I was looking up her mother, Carol Trahey."
Gibbs walked over to the screen to take a closer look and Tony zoned out for a minute.
Carol Trahey. It was definitely ringing a bell. Now where did he know that name from? He looked up to see that he had completely missed McGee telling Gibbs what the connection was exactly. He frowned, about to ask McGee to repeat himself when Gibbs spoke first.
"Good work McGee. That's enough to question her. I want her in interrogation the minute she gets here."
"Got it Boss."
...
Chapter 10