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She woke up to an empty bed in the middle of the night. She hadn't heard him slip out of bed. Pulling on a t-shirt she found him in the living room with three fingers of Irish whiskey in one hand and a photo album in the other. Their wedding album. Full of friends and family and drunk cops and Marines, the photos commemorated a fun day. A day of simple love and happiness. Whenever he came home from a deployment he would flip through the album's pages as if trying to recapture some of that happiness.
Tonight she sensed something different in him, this deployment had taken a lot out of him. And there was a spark that she identified merely as Joey that seemed to be missing from him. Curling up next to him on the couch she tried not to notice that he tensed up when she touched him. She looked at the picture he had stopped on, his Marine Corps buddies, most of which he had known since basic training. Of the dozen Marines smiling sloppily with shot glasses held high, more than half had been lost. Killed on the other side of the globe, in a place where the sun burned so hot it could bake the reason right out of a person. She had attended all the funerals, even if Joey couldn't. She had stood with the widows and watched the flags being folded. Silently praying that she would never be handed a folded flag.
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Monday morning Rosemary dressed carefully. She wanted to be polished and professional, and cool and level headed. She was going into the lion's den, into the building she swore she would never step foot into again. But things were different now. Now she had an ally, someone not on her side, or on NCIS's side, but someone who was on Joey's side. Someone deeply offended that a fellow Marine had been murdered and that wanted to see his killer brought to justice, whoever it turned out to be.
She was checking in through security when a handsome, tawny haired man walked over to her, “Rosemary O'Reilly?
She didn't recognize him but answered, “Yes, and you are?”
He smiled warmly and extended his hand, “Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. Tony. I'm part of Gibbs' team. I recognized your picture from the case file.”
He let security know that he would be escorting her and the made their way to the elevator. The mystery of how he knew her solved, she was instantly drawn to the affable younger man. He was charming with a quick wit. Someone six years ago she would have enjoyed working with, enjoyed teasing back. But not now. Now the only person she teased was Ernie. Well, and Gibbs. But that was new, and... a different sort of teasing.
They made small talk in the elevator about how the building had changed since she had been there last. They kept it light, Tony could see how tense she was and didn't want to add to it.
As they exited the elevator Tony wanted to groan. The Director was walking towards them, with a purposeful stride.
They met halfway with Rosemary wondering who exactly this woman was. She had noticed the slight change in Tony's demeanor when he had realized the woman was heading for them.
“Director Sheppard.” Tony said in way of greeting.
“Agent DiNozzo.” the Director replied.
“Director, this is...” Tony started to introduce Rosemary but the director interrupted.
“Rosemary O'Reilly.” She extended her hand to Rosemary and continued, “Mrs. O'Reilly, I know you probably would like to get started immediately with Special Agent Gibbs and his team, but could I steal you away for just a couple of minutes?”
Rosemary shook Jen's hand and tried to read the other woman, but her intent was hidden. She decided to just go with the flow and see what transpired. The atmosphere here was completely different than it was six years ago and no one was being hostile towards her like Canning had been. “Certainly Director Sheppard, I know your time is valuable.”
The Director turned and headed for the staircase and Rosemary turned towards Tony who gave her a little wink before heading for his own desk.
Once ensconced behind closed doors with the Director Rosemary felt certain she was going to get the grand brush off. But what the Director actually said as she sat at the conference table next to Rosemary surprised her even more than Tony's cordial welcome.
“Mrs. O'Reilly, first I would like to tell you that I am very sorry for your loss, your husband was a fine Marine. I would also like to apologize for how you may have been treated six years ago. From what I understand it wasn't particularly civil and although I can't erase that, I can assure you that things will be handled differently now.”
Rosemary regarded the Director for a long moment, feeling the tension leaving her body. She wasn't getting a brush off, wasn't being accused of killing Joey, instead being treated with courtesy and respect. “Thank you, Director. I appreciate you saying that. All I want is to catch the person that killed Joey. It's all I've ever wanted. And I admit that I wasn't particularly civil back to Special Agent Canning.”
“Well Gibbs isn't known for his civility but he's the best there is, and if anyone can solve this case, it will be him.”
Rosemary caught the Director's little smirk and in that instant realized that there was history between she and Gibbs. Personal history.
Rosemary chuckled, “That probably explains why he just let me vent. He didn't even flinch when I threatened to shoot him when he showed up on my deck.”
Jen was tempted to throw back a wisecrack about Gibbs thinking that was foreplay, but she didn't know Rosemary well enough yet. But she liked the woman. And her service record was very impressive. Impressive enough that Jen's recruitment instincts were kicking in, Rosemary could easily be another Gibbs. Her skills were that good. But she would have to see how the situation evolved around the case. Like Gibbs, the Director didn't get the same impression about Rosemary that Canning had had. And Jen tried to put herself in Rosemary's position and realized she would have stood toe-to-toe with Canning too, screaming to be heard.
“Gibbs has a way with people. A very unique way.”
The two women chatted a bit longer and Jen walked her back to the stairs. Jen caught the little, split-second grin on Gibbs' face when he saw Rosemary and wanted to laugh. Foreplay, it was definitely foreplay.
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tbc...
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