Three weeks after Gibbs' birthday he left Stillwater and his father to return to D.C. He had visited his doctor two more times and had taken the all-clear to return to light desk duty for two weeks and two weeks later he could go back in the game something that made him very happy because he wasn't expecting it. Jenny had arranged his physical which he had passed with flying colors. But he was aware that with the passing of time his knee might present a variety of problems.
Currently Gibbs was sitting in his desk finishing up some paperwork after a hard case and after his first week of field work and was waiting Jenny to finish her work too. The most of the week they were sleeping together and they had made it a habit to leave work together.
As he was putting his glasses away he saw Jenny come down the stairs.
"Ready to go Jethro?" She asked him
"Just finished Jen.Finally..."
"Yeah. I know. Just try and don't push yourself to hard ok?"
"We'll see about that at home..." he said smirking. They got hand in hand and walked to the elevator.
Once in Gibbs' car, Jenny sat inside putting her seatbelt on and leaning back closing her eyes. Jethro got the engine running and then took off. He sat silent in the whole way not wanting to disturb Jenny who was now sleeping soundly in the co-driver's sit knowing how tired she was.
When they arrived he took her seatbelt off and got her in his arms to carry her to the house. He didn't want to wake her or disturb her. Jenny was a heavy sleeper anyway and she wouldn't remember being carried in the house. She didn't even move until he reached his door and that was when Jenny woke up confused.She hadn't slept heavily then Gibbs thought.
"Jethro what the hell are you doing?"
"I'm getting you home Jen"
"Put me down NOW! The doctor said no big weights for at least a month! Do you want to have a relapse?" She clearly was furious...
"Ok, ok... It was just a ten steps distance... Don't be mad..." he said putting her down.
"I'm going to bed..." she announced and strode upstairs clearly angry at him.
Gibbs closed the door behind him and went to the basement. He put a glass of bourbon and sat there for half an hour until he decided that it was time for bed. He knew that he shouldn't annoy Jenny any further that's why he had left her for half an hour alone.
When he moved upstairs to his bedroom he saw that Jenny was asleep in her work clothes. He lay carefully down not wanting to disturb her and in five minutes he was asleep too.
****************************************
The next morning Gibbs woke up from his aching knee. It still hurt on rainy days, like this one, or generally in a weather change.But the extra weight of Jenny last night had surely affected his condition.She was right again. He should had waken her.It was 5:30. The alarm clock would go on at 6:00 so he decided not to wake Jenny but to go and make some breakfast and maybe that's would help forget the pain in his knee. He got up from the bed carefully, not wanting to disturb Jenny and went down the stairs. He walked to the coffee machine to make fresh coffee and then he put some eggs on the pan and some bacon. By the time breakfast was ready, it was 6:00 and Gibbs heard the alarm clock take off.He waited patiently for her to wash up and come down with his leg stretched on a chair and with an ice pack on.
When she arrived at the kitchen and saw him she had the "I told you look" on her face.
"Morning Jen..." he greeted "Sit down I'll make you a plate."
"Oh for goodness shake Jethro! Your knee is hurting. Why don't you just stay sited? Did you have to make breakfast if your knee was aching?"
"Jen please...I don't wanna fight... And to answer your question I just thought that it might take my mind off the pain."
"What am I going to do with you?" She asked more like rhetorically...
"Maybe serve me some breakfast and a cup of coffee?" He laughed it off.
After breakfast was served and eaten and they got ready and went to the Navyward.
***************************************
As always Gibbs was the first to arrive and was searching something at the drawers next to Tony's desk when Ziva Tim and Tony got there too.
"Morning Boss!"
"Good Morning Gibbs" they greeted.
"Morning" was all he offered. Tony then approached him with a white envelope.
"The guys on the gate said to give you this. A guy delivered it. Doesn't have an address just your name on it."
Gibbs took it and opened it. It was a plain white envelope. Gibbs gut kicked in and he rushed to open it.
"Agent Gibbs,
Thought it was about time to inform you that your injury was not an accident. If that junky that I hired was of any worth, now you wouldn't even be alive to read this letter. I just want to tell you that it is time you payed for ruining the life of so many people including my Marine career... We'll be in touch but first I suggest you contact your M.E. friend.He may need you more right now...
R.H."
By the time Gibbs had finished the letter, all the blood in his face was drained. His team of course had noticed.
"Gibbs? Are you alright?" Ziva asked coming to him.
"Someone call Ducky! NOW!" He shouted.
Tony was the first to react. He dialed the number but no one was picking up. He tried Ducky's home but nothing again. Then he tried autopsy.
"Autopsy." Palmer's voice was heard.
"Hey Palmer... Is Ducky with you?"
"No...He hasn't arrived yet..."
"Ok thanks" Tony hang up. "Nothing Boss..." Tony said shaking his head. "What has happened? What did this letter say?"
Gibbs ignored his questions and turned to McGee.
"Pin his phone!"
"Yeah...It's off Boss...I can't find him..."McGee informed him.
Now Gibbs was slightly trembling. It couldn't be happening. Why? First him, now his family. He had to find Ducky. He was sure that the R.H. in the bottom of the letter stood for Robert Harris. Ex Marine of his unit, special training in torture methods and a criminal. Twenty five years ago, Gibbs had caught him for dealing drugs but to take him down he had to kill his brother, Frank, who was involved too. He still remembered Robert promising that he would come back for revenge and kill everyone he loved, just like he killed his only family.
Gibbs breaths were now beginning to become more short and difficult. Cold sweat was running in his face.
"Gibbs?" Ziva asked him again.
"I...I have to find Du-..." he didn't have the chance to finish his sentence because everything went black and he went down.
****************************************
Ziva was the first one to notice Gibbs' paleness and she immediately knew something was wrong. When Gibbs hadn't answered the first time she had asked him,Ziva went a step closer to him. The second time when Gibbs turned to answer her she had noticed a slight tremble in his arm and the sweat in his face...
"I-I have to find Du..." he had said before he started to fall.
"Gibbs!" She has shouted and run forward to catch him before he fell.
"Tony call an ambulance! Now!"
Ziva lay Gibbs gently on the floor and put her finger on his neck for a pulse.
Relief washed over her when she found one. She then checked for his breath. Yeah, he was breathing normally.
"They'll be there in two minutes Ziva." Tony informed her as he kneeled next to his Boss alongside McGee and Ziva.
That's when Jenny started racing down the stairs and Ziva spotted her.
"Move!" She ordered to the crowd that had formed around the team. "Oh my God! Jethro! What happened?" She said kneeling down too.
"We don't know..." Tim informed. That was when they heard the paramedics instruct to make room so that they could take the patient to the ambulance as quickly as possible.
"Where are you taking him?" Tony asked.
"Bethesda" one of the paramedics answered.
They loaded Jethro into a gurney and moved fast to the elevator.
Jenny run from the stairs with Ziva Tony and Tim behind her.
They moved to Jenny's car.
"I'll drive. Director you are clearly not in the state of driving and there is no time for arguments so give me the keys." Tim took the situation in his hands.
"Ziva and I will drive with my car" Tony informed.
Jenny threw her keys at Tim and quickly they drove off to Bethesda Naval Hospital once again the letter and words of Gibbs forgotten.
****************************************
Jenny was pacing in the waiting room back and forth her head in her hands as silent tears were making their way to her cheeks when Abby and Jimmy Palmer came almost running to them.
"Oh my God! Is Gibbs ok?" Abby asked obviously worried.
"We don't know Abs... The doctors are still running some tests." Tim answered.
Abby sat between him and Palmer leaning her head to Tim's shoulder and having her hand in Palmer's hand.
"Where is Ducky?" Tony wondered
"I've been trying to call him but he doesn't answer. I don't know where he is. Should we be worried?" Jimmy replied.
"It's unusual for Ducky to disappear like that. He usually informs us beforehand." Tim observed.
"Guys! Don't you remember? Gibbs! He said before he passed out that he had to find Du... He didn't have the chance to continue but I'm sure he meant Ducky! Maybe he had read something on that letter that you gave him Tony! Maybe Ducky wrote to him!" Ziva started to put the parts of the puzzle together.
"What letter?" Jenny inquired.
"Before I come to the Bullpen a guy in the entrance gave me a letter addressed to Gibbs and said to give it to him. I-I had forgotten all about it with what happened. Ziva is right. I'll go and see what I can find. Tim will you come with me?" Tony said standing up.
"Yeah of course Tony!"
"Just let us know of what the doctors said. And please someone call Jack."
"Yeah. I will Tony...You call when you find that letter" Jenny replied. Tony and Tim nodded and then took off.
****************************************
It was five minutes later when the doctor Daniels approached them.
"I didn't think I would be seeing Jethro so soon. I had just cleared him for field work."
"Doctor. How is he?" It was Jenny that spoke first.
"He is fine. He was overwhelmed by something obviously. All the tests we ran had good results. His knee is a bit swollen and his pressure is a bit high but I expect with two days of rest he will be as good as new. Don't pressure him and don't stress him. I want him to go home and have a good nights sleep. I prescribed some meds for the headache he says he has and I suggest elevation and an ice pack for the knee. You can take him home in a hour. He waits for you Director. Says it's urgent. Just please try to relax him."
"Yeah I'll go in right away. What room Doc?"
"273."
Jenny started running towards the room the doctor had indicated and she surprisingly found it very quickly. It was just in the end of the corridor.She didn't bother to knock she just got in.
Gibbs was sitting in the bed arguing with the nurse.
"I just want Jenny Shepherd to come and talk to me its urgent."
"Senior Gibbs I have to take some blood for some tests and then I'll go and fetch her. Please stand still."
"You don't have to fetch her. She is right here." Jenny interfered. "Oh Jethro!" She said running to his embrace. He hugged her briefly and then he broke apart.
"Jenny, I need to find Ducky! Robert Harris wrote me a letter this morning. He said that the junky that hit me was actually paid to do it. His mission was to actually kill me but he wasn't good. And now he has Ducky. Please Jen I have to find him. I couldn't live with my self if something happened to him because of me."
"Oh my! I'll call DiNozzo! Don't worry Jethro we'll find him. I'll tell Abby and Ziva to go and help the boys." She said leaving the room in a hurry.
****************************************
After two rings DiNozzo picked up his phone.
"Tony. Did you find that letter?"
"Yeah Director I was just about to call you. You have to get Abby and Ziva here I'll need them."
"I will." She hung up and moved towards the waiting room.
"Director is he ok?" Ziva said standing up from her seat.
"Yeah he's fine. We have a serious problem in our hands. As it seems Jethro received a letter that said that the hit on him two months ago was deliberate. Now the man that organized him may have Ducky. DiNozzo said to go back to the headquarters immediately. We have to find Ducky before it's too late."
"Oh my Gosh! Of course we'll leave right now!" Abby exclaimed and stood up too picking her handbag.
"I'll come with you! Dr Mallard is like a father to me... I can't just stand here and wait..." Palmer said and the three of them left as quickly as possible for the Navyward.
Jenny returned to Jethro's room and saw him frowning with his eyes closed. He approached him and wiped with a towel the sweat that had gathered in his eyebrows.
"Jethro, we'll find him. Relax. You saw what happened. I'm sure that Ducky and his charm can escape any situation."
"It's my fault Jen! Don't you get it? I'm to blame! I have to get out of here... I have to find Ducky before it's too late! Harris has a special training in torture! And I need to interrogate that bastard that shot me! DiNozzo should had done it before he threw him to jail in a heartbeat. We may had prevented it." He tried to get out of bed but Jenny pushed him back.
"No! You sit your arse back in that bed and wait until your doctor gives you the all clear which shouldn't be long. Until then you rest. If you want to help Ducky Jethro, then do as all a favor and make sure you are ok. I'm sure your team doesn't need to worry about you too. They have to be focused for Ducky's shake. And as for Tony, you know he wouldn't know. He did the right thing. He caught a junky for murder and for shooting his father. Now...I'm gonna call your dad. I won't give him any details because I'm sure you don't want to worry him but I'm gonna tell him that he should get here to keep you some company. Ok?"
Gibbs didn't answer he just looked away.
"Jethro please...Can you promise me that you'll just relax? I'm sure that in half an hour the doctor will release you. He said that he would. Can you please for half an hour just relax?"
"Ok.But after the half hour I'm gone. With or without you."
Jenny got out of the room to call Jack. True to her word she didn't mention anything about Ducky or the letter, she just said that Jethro was feeling a bit under the weather and was in need of some company. Jack of course said that he would book a ticket to D.C first thing in the morning and be there.
She then stepped again into the room. Jethro had closed again his eyes but he seemed more relaxed now.
"I was worried sick when I saw you lying in that floor." She told him her voice low. If he did have a headache he sure would like as much quite as he could get.
"Sorry Jen. It was just too much to take. My knee already hurt and then this came and...I just couldn't take it... It's my fault. I had to be strong and I didn't. I should be out there chasing the bastard."
"Not your fault honey." She put a hand in his forehead and rested it there. He appreciated the feel of coldness and he relaxed a bit more. The meds for the headache were starting to wore off now and he wasn't quite ready to face it again. Jenny knew and she took a clothe and put it under the water in the bathroom and the went back into the room and put it in his forehead.
"Thanks...Come and lie down Jen" he moved to make some space for her. She of course obeyed and she snuggled her head in his chest listening to the steady heartbeat. It seemed that it had only passed a second when the doctor came in.
"Hey Jethro...Ready to go home?"
"Ready as hell doc! Where do I sign?" He said noticing the discharging papers. He showed him where to sign and then examined him quickly to make sure that he was completely ok.
"The head ache back on?" Doctor Daniels asked noticing the wet clothe in his forehead.
"Yep. I'll take the pills and I'll be fine Doc . Just let me go home already."
"Ok...Just take it easy ok? I don't want to see you in here again, Jethro..."
Gibbs chuckled a bit and waived the doctor goodbye.
"Get dressed and I'll wait outside."
Jenny let him in the room alone for a bit. He got dressed as quickly as he could, took two pills for the headache one painkiller for the knee and left the hospital room.
When they arrived at the parking lot he moved towards the driver's seat but Jenny motioned him to go to the other side of the car.
"I don't plan on getting killed today so I'll drive"
They got into the car and went to the Navyward.
****************************************
After the familiar "ding" of the elevator Gibbs strode out, Jenny hot on his heel,like nothing had happened.
"Someone talk to me!" He barked.
"Gibbs!" Ziva exclaimed surprised.
"Oh hi there Boss! How are you feeling?" DiNozzo tried to ask but the only answer he got was a dark glare from his Boss.
"Yeah, not my business. Well to answer your question, the envelope and letter are down to Abby's lab and are being examined as we speak. We, have been trying to see what Ducky did just before his cellphone shut down but not much there either. He was at home as it seems. McGee is there with Palmer to see if they can find anything to help us."
"The R.H. stands for Robert Harris. He's our guy."
"Yeah we already know."
Gibbs took off without saying anything else to Abby's lab.
"Good job guys." Jenny praised them before she went to catch up with Gibbs in the elevator.
****************************************
When he arrived at Abby's lab he went straight inside ignoring the annoying sounds of music that were too loud.
"Abs talk to me!" He almost shouted.
"Gibbs! Oh my God! What are you doing here? You're supposed to be home resting! That's what the doctor said! And Ducky...What are we gonna do Gibbs? What if he's..."
"Abs we are not helping him if we just sit there and make guesses. So, tell me what you've got."
"I found some more prints on the envelope except yours. I run them through AFIS. It was indeed Harris."
"Abs pin his phone for me and call if you get anything else."
"Already have Sir! It's turned off but the minute he activates it I'll know and I'll get him!We'll get him Gibbs won't we?"She asked more insecurely now.
"Of course we will" Gibbs kissed her in the head and moved to the elevator once more Jenny behind him.
"I'll go in my office see if I can help any other way. Find anything more."
"Ok." Their ways split up as the elevator door opened.
"Boss, Richard Harris, dishonorable discharged twenty three years ago. He was caught for selling and using drugs. He was..."
"I know this already DiNozzo I was his C.O. I put him in jail. I want an address, a phone number, anything..."
"I may help you with those Gibbs" Ziva said taking the remote control of the plasma off Tony's hand.
"I searched a bit and found that his bills are mailed to 1345 Wilkes St, Alexandria."
"DiNozzo you with me. Ziva wait for McGee and search deeper... We have to find this guy."
They left with Tony and in twenty minutes they had arrived to their destination.
"Harris open up!NCIS!" Gibbs banged at the door. When no one showed up to open it, he motioned for DiNozzo to hit it open with his leg, as he did.
With their guns raised they searched the place.
"Clear Boss!" Tony said moving towards Gibbs.
It was a small place. It only had a living room, a small kitchen a bedroom and a bathroom. In the living room Harris had a board in which photos of Gibbs and his team were pinned.There was also a photo of his dad and Jenny. Gibbs' photo had a wide X in red on it but there was nothing else in the place.
Tony and Gibbs spent at least an hour searching for any leads but they didn't find anything. They packed the board and its continents for Abby to examine, and headed to NCIS once again.
****************************************
When they arrived McGee was the first one to speak.
"Boss! We went to Ducky's place with Palmer and found tire tracks in front of the entrance door. Nothing was out of place expect from the tracks. I also tried to see where he's been form when Harris' phone was on but the only location I could find in the last twenty four hours was his place in Alexandria."
"Good job." He said and left once again for Abby's lab.
Once in the elevator, Gibbs hit the power off button. He put his hands on the railing trying to steady himself. Everything was spinning around him and he didn't have time to waste. His thoughts were interrupted by a phone call.
Unknown it had read on the caller ID.
He picked it up and hit the on button on the elevator again.
"Gibbs" he answered it.
"Agent Gibbs, how good to hear your voice again. I've been worried about you..."
"Where is Ducky Harris?" By that time he had reached Abby's lab and in the hearing of the name Abby started tracking it.
"Oh you mean your M.E. friend? He's right here. Say hello to Gibbs for me doctor..."
"Jethro I'm fine don't worry!" He heard Ducky from inside.
"If you pull one hair of his head, I promise you Harris that twenty five years in Leavenworth will seem like cramps in front of what awaits you."
"Oh...So you're threatening me? You know that I have your friend here don't you Gibbs? Let me be gracious and cut you a deal. I'll leave your Doctor here free if you come and find me alone. If I see any bugs or hidden cameras he dies. If I see that someone has followed you he dies. I'll be waiting in the warehouse next to the old train station.You have one hour." He hung up.
"Abby?" He questioned.
"Couldn't find him Gibbs. I narrowed it down to a 15 mile radius."
"Send it to McGee. Maybe they can find anything. Do you have anything else for me?"
"Yeah. The tire tracks are from a Ford Anguilla the 2005 model. There are a total of two hundreds in the area of D.C. and .... only fifteen in the 15 mile radius I narrowed the call to."
"Nice work Abs. Send that to McGee too..."
****************************************
When Gibbs arrived to the bullpen everyone were working furiously.
"Boss, Abby sent me the results I'll try to narrow down the possible areas in which he may be hiding. Maybe in an hour or two I'll have some results." McGee informed him.
"I put out a BOLO for the car and for Harris Boss. No hits yet but I hope we'll have some soon." DiNozzo said without taking his head off his computer screen.
"I'm searching deeper in his background Gibbs and in his history in jail. Nothing yet."
"Good job everybody! Keep it up!" He smiled to them a little bit leaving them more and more surprised and moved towards Jenny's office.No one had got used to Gibbs praising so much and smiling too.
Gibbs knew that he had to take Ducky's place. He also knew that to keep his friend safe he had to go alone and the only way that could happen was of none knew about him trading places his the M.E. Rule #4. Of course he was aware that once in Harris' hands he was a dead man. But he counted in his team to find him in time. But if they didn't, he didn't want the last words from him to be any complaints or orders. That's why he praised them. Now it was time to go and see Jenny.
He got into the office without knocking ignoring Cynthia once again.
"Agent Gibbs how can I help you?"
"Just wandering if you have anything for me Madame Director."
"Nope, nothing from my contacts. It seems like Harris didn't have a lot of company in prison. He was a loner. And none of his buddies is getting it sometime soon so judging by his file and this I could say that he may not have an accomplice."
"My gut agrees. I'm going for coffee and I'll be back." He informed her kissing her with passion on the lips. She didn't pulled away immediately but after ten seconds she did.
"Hey! What's up with you? We're at work remember?" She looked at him suspiciously. He just smiled at her and left.
****************************************
"I'm going for a coffee run." He lied to his team. Then he stood a moment to look at them all smiled again and left to the elevator.
"What's up with him? Why is he smiling like that to us? Is he sick?" Tony wondered.
"That's very un-Gibbs. I think he's up to something..." Tim answered.
No one knew that for Gibbs it was time for action...