Chapter 15
After he broke away"reluctantly"from Abby, Jet made his way upstairs to the desk area. The largest desk was his counterpart’s, he remembered, and he went to it, glancing at the people watching him and nodding briskly. He knew this team, but there were others who seemed more than a little curious.
There was an instant message application on the computer screen and he opened it, clicking on a link to a chatroom with what he assumed were the three others.
Coach me, he typed.
Frown and glare at the computer a lot, Tony replied. Tell us to pull some cold cases and bark the orders. Gibbs calls Probie McGee all the time, I’m mostly DiNozzo, but Ziva is always Ziva, Abby is either Abby or Abbs and Ducky is always Ducky or Duck. McGee, you get the personnel files organized?
Yes, they’re on their way, Tim replied. Gibbs, you should see an icon in the corner of your screen. Click on it. That’s the file we have on Gibbs, as well as the complete dossier Ziva compiled before she came to NCIS. I’ve secured this chatroom; no one can come in without an invitation being sent. Ducky and Abby will also have access. If you have a question for either one of us specifically, click on the name of the person " the names will be at the top of the screen " and a private chatroom will open up to that person.
Jet’s head was spinning at the rapid-fire information overload, but he catalogued everything. McGee, DiNozzo, Ziva, Abbs or Abby and Ducky or Duck.
He nodded, typing his thanks and opening the file. Reading it was an experience. In some ways they were similar"Jackson Gibbs being their father. But his counterpart had married Shannon, the redhead whose aunt ran the dress shop in Stillwater. He and his counterpart had both been Marines, but had followed different paths. The other Gibbs had seen combat; he’d never been beyond training missions. His counterpart had been married four times, while he’d only married once. And instead of owning his own corporation, his counterpart had made a career at NCIS. They were a few years apart in age and their fathers were as well.
Different, but the same in some ways as well.
Having been quiet for way too long, Ziva spoke. “What would you like us to do, Gibbs? Do we have an active case, or would you like us to work the cold cases?”
“Pull some cold case files,” he said, making his voice extra gruff. “Let’s crack some of these.” He had no idea of how to access cold cases, if they were print or electronic, and he arched a brow at the woman, hoping she’d take the lead and give him some guidance.
Nodding to show encouragement, Ziva got up from her desk and made her way to the filing cabinet. Picking out some folders that appeared promising, she set one in front of each team member. “Here you go…Gibbs.”
“Get crackin’, Ziva,” he replied, shooting her a subtle wink. He opened a file, making notations on a pad of paper. Wondering if he ought to do this electronically, he typed, would he write or type his notes?
Gibbs has an unhealthy hatred for most things technological. He prefers a pad of paper and a pencil to the use of a program on the computer. You are doing just fine, Ziva typed.
He nodded his thanks, scribbling facts, looking at things with different eyes than the team. He’d been around law enforcement for a long time, had seen a few cases unfold while training men and women investigating them. But something about this case didn’t seem to ring true. As he began concentrating deeply, he started relaxing, his shoulders unclenching.
Tony watched the man’s expression get more serious and intense and smiled. He was taking on more of a Gibbs look now. Maybe they’d be okay.
Glancing up briefly, Ziva caught Tony’s smile and followed his eyes. Seeing Gibbs immersed in the case file she’d handed him, she felt a similar smile appear on her own lips. Looking back to Tony, she smiled, giving him a subtle wink. Though her training kept her on edge for anything, she couldn’t help but wonder how easily this Gibbs would assimilate into the process.
There were some things very similar about both men. They had similar body language and Tony knew when Gibbs brushed a hand over his face that he might have found something. “Boss?” he questioned casually.
“DiNozzo?”
Tony jerked his head to the file without answering.
“Special Agent Gibbs.” Tony heard the voice from behind him and he stiffened right up. Vance? Now? He hoped someone would alert Gibbs before it was too late.
Seeing Vance begin walking down the staircase, Ziva sent off a quick message to Gibbs in the chat room. That is Director Vance! Close down this chat until he is gone.
“Good morning, Director,” Tim called from his desk.
“Good morning, Special Agent McGee,” Vance said in his clipped tone. Suspiciously, he looked around the bullpen at the group who appeared too interested in the case files in front of them.
“Special Agent Gibbs,” he repeated. “May I ask what your team is working on right now?” Though it was framed as a question, no one would believe he was actually asking permission.
Jet stood and moved to the front of his desk, sensing it was expected of him. He leaned casually against the desk and folded his arms. “Cold cases. That okay with you?”
Tony looked over at McGee, nodding in approval. He wasn’t their Gibbs but he was holding his own.
Noting the team’s behavior, Vance quickly grew suspicious. Something was going on here. The undercurrent was too tense to be otherwise. Narrowing his eyes, he studied Gibbs, seeing the darkened hair and smoother features. Even the stance was different. What the hell is going on here?
“I’ll expect a sit-rep from you at 1400, in my office, Special Agent Gibbs.” His tone brooked no argument as he turned to head back to his own office.
“Sit-rep on cold cases?” Gibbs replied with a snort. “Slow day, Director?”
He had the arrogance too, that worked for Tony. But they only had a couple of hours to work Gibbs through anything he might need in order to fool Vance.
“A situation report on the status of your team, Special Agent Gibbs. Including all reports, firing proficiency, psych evaluations. Did you forget we had an appointment?” Vance turned to face the man, standing as he was on the platform of the stairs. Gibbs was cocky, arrogant, but there was something about him today that was sending Vance’s alarm bells ringing.
“Ya email it to me? I never check email.” He waved his hand. “You know my team is the best. You must be bored or something. Fourteen hundred, make sure you have good coffee.”
Turning, he dismissed the man, walking back to the desk and trying not to catch anyone’s eyes. He’d have to check on his performance when the guy was gone.
Vance furrowed his forehead, definitely convinced that something was up. Vance glanced at each of the team members, though he wasn’t fooled them as they seemed overtly attentive to the work at their computers.
Tabling it for now, he knew he’d have a chance at Gibbs later. He turned and made his way back to his office.
Jet motioned to the younger man to get the chatroom open, figuring the guy might have spies or cameras nearby.
With a few quick taps of his fingers on the keyboard, Tim opened a chatroom, waiting for the others to join him.
Jet joined in, typing quickly, What the hell was that about?
He’s testing you, Tim typed. He’s always testing and pushing, seeing if he can get you off your game.
Do I really have a meeting with him? They shrugged and he sighed inwardly. How do I work this?
Tim? Any ideas? Tony knew there wasn’t time to brief him on all aspects of all the cases, and even if there was, he was only human"even though he was a Gibbs. How would he remember?
What if we get called to a case? Ziva offered when Tim hesitated. If Gibbs gets a call suddenly, he would not be able to make that meeting, yes?
Well, yeah, but I don’t have those connections with God, Ziva, Tony replied. Any ideas?
If a lead came through on a cold case that sent us out in the field? If that didn’t work, Ziva was out of ideas after that.
Okay, work with me here, I may have something, Jet typed. Something doesn’t look right here.
Where? Tim asked, intrigued that the newbie had found something they had missed. Which case are you looking into?
He tapped the file and looked at the younger man. How do we discuss these?
Generally, you bring stuff up on the plasma with the clicker. Or you have us run stuff…Tim almost suggested a campfire, but that was Tony’s way not Gibbs’.
Jet nodded, looking around for the clicker and tossing it over. “Get up cold case 99-0957, McGee. Where can we find Agent Pacci to interview?”
Tony gulped hard, typing quickly. He’s dead, murdered. You and I investigated.
Jet winced, nodding. “Get the case up!”
“On it, Boss,” McGee called out, scrambling to pull up the case. With a few clicks, he had the case on the plasma.
“Read the second page. Natalie Olean said she found her mother’s body at oh six fifteen, but her smart tag was swiped at oh six fourteen. How could she have arrived at the house one minute after she came off the highway? They live two miles from the exit. Need to pull the network’s time info and see if it was audited at all. If not, Natalie’s got some answers to give us.”
Tony knew it was possible that the smart tag records hadn’t been automated at the time, making it much harder to get the most accurate information. But it had all been back fed into systems, and would be an easy check.
Nodding at the information McGee pulled up, Ziva commented, “Nice catch…Gibbs. You want us to gas up the car? To go to talk to Ms. Olean?”
“Get the files from the smart tag people first, then…we go.” Jet looked around, meeting their eyes, hoping he was doing a passable impression of their boss.
“On it, Boss,” Tim called out, pulling up the programs he needed.
Ziva smiled at Jet, impressed with his ability to adapt to such a strange situation.
Tony gave them each a small look of acknowledgment. “Mapping the address, Boss. Should have it in a few minutes.”
“Good work,” Jet said, trying to project calmness and an in control persona. He had a feeling he was completely failing.
Hanging up the phone, McGee said, “The people at the smart tag company are faxing over the information. They did an audit on their files six weeks after the murder. We should have it in a few minutes.”
“Good,” Jet said again, looking from one to the other. “When was the last time any of you looked at this file?” he barked.
Ziva flinched at the very Gibbs-like moment, looking to Tony and McGee. “I do not know, Gibbs. We have many cold case files that have to take a back burn when we get an active one.”
Tony couldn’t help smiling at Ziva’s mistake. “Back burner,” he muttered. Other Gibbs was good enough to fool Vance in the short term and that was an excellent catch, one that the team would have found, but they were trained investigators. He’d discovered that detail buried in pages and pages of files within a couple of hours.
“Better work harder,” Gibbs growled in reply.
“Right,” Tim said automatically. “We’ll do better.”
Tony couldn’t help grinning. “We’re on it, Boss!” He Google mapped the address and printed it out, turning to McGee when he was done.
“Okay, Boss,” Tim said, catching their attention. “Got the smart tag records. And our proof that something’s not right.”
Jet crossed over to the younger man and leaned over, crowding his space. “Tell me more.”
“There’s…um…nothing more to tell. Other than what you’ve already found out,” Tim squeaked out.
“Why didn’t we see it earlier?” Jet asked, getting into his role.
“He’s good,” Tony whispered to Ziva.
“Yes, he is quite good. There must be something in both men, something inherent to being Leroy Jethro Gibbs, that is showing now.” Ziva felt a little sorry for Tim as he took the brunt of Jet’s new found…Gibbs-ness.
“I…um…” Tim stuttered, looking to the other two agents for help. “I don’t know that we’ve opened this case file before now, Boss.”
“Well, you need to get better, more damned competent. Or I can fire your ass! Got the address? What’re we waiting for?”
“Gear up,” Tony replied, taking a temporary lead and rushing toward the elevator.
Thankful, Tim quickly grabbed up his pack and bolted after Tony, Ziva trailing behind to make sure Jet followed.
Jet walked into the elevator and as soon as it was closed, he squeezed Tim’s shoulder gently. “Didn’t mean to be so hard on you. You okay? Was that how your boss acts?”
“It worked. You were really good, by the way,” Tim replied, knowing Jet hadn’t really been picking on him.
“Not natural,” Jet said. “My people are usually scared into submission. You see what I saw in that file? We’re not going on a wild goose chase?”
“No, not at all. We all saw what you did. It was a great catch. We get so many of these cold cases. And with Pacci gone…he was such a damn good agent,” Tim murmured.
“He was,” Tony added. “Pacci ran the cold case division. He was murdered just before Tim came up from Norfolk. He was a good friend…”
Tim nodded, unsure of what to say as the elevator moved quietly.
~*~
Ducky was unable to help his curiosity and concern and made his way to Abby’s lab. “How are you, my dear?”
“Hey, Duckman. I’m…hanging in, I guess. You missed everyone. The team just headed upstairs, to try and work Jet into Gibbs’ position.” Turning away from her computer, she knew she wasn’t hiding anything from Ducky.
“What is going on, my dear? Where did he come from? What is the situation with him? And yourself…” Ducky added gently.
“I don’t know the answers, not really. He’s from another dimension, I think. He wants to go home, but not really. I’m not really sure how it was possible for me to do something like that with no experience. And me? I’m fine,” she asked.
Sometimes following what Abby said was utterly confusing. “What do you mean he wants to go home but not really? Another dimension?” It was all quite overwhelming, and Ducky looked at her face, the redness present. “Have you been kissing that man?”
Her face lit up, her skin unable to hide the blush. “Ducky, that’s not really important right now,” she exclaimed, trying to change the subject.
“It is completely and utterly relevant, my darling. Talk to me.” And it was much less confusing than the rest.
With that one small command, Abby felt everything spill out from her. “I don’t know what to say, Ducky. Yeah, we…kissed. And we have this connection. It’s like I’ve found what I was looking for, even though I didn’t know I was looking. And I know that’s a total cliché, but it’s true. And it’s nothing to do with him being the double of Gibbs, even though maybe that’s a part. But it’s different, you know? And he still has to go home, doesn’t he? I still have to send him back, right? But now he’s saying that he maybe wants to stay here with me. But wouldn’t that be selfish of me? To ask him to stay, to leave everything he knows and loves? His family? His friends? His work? And what about our Gibbs? If this one stays, can ours come back? I couldn’t make that decision, abandoning our Gibbs in some strange place. I don’t care that he used to be a sniper and can protect himself and blah blah blah. It’s totally different, you know?”
“Oh, my dear,” Ducky said quietly, holding her close. “You need to make it right, Abby. You’ll realize what that means soon enough.” She was speaking to him like she’d never spoken before and Ducky was concerned. This sounded like more than an infatuation, but how could it be? They’d known each other only minutes.
She hugged him tightly, squeezing her eyes closed tightly to stem the tears. “I’m trying to make it right, Ducky. I’m trying to figure out how to bring Gibbs home. But if Jet" that’s this Gibbs, or he goes by L.J. too"if Jet wants to stay, but he’s supposed to go back, am I supposed to make the choice for him to leave? If it’s the right thing to do to make him leave and go back to the people who love him, how I am supposed to do that? How many movies could Tony quote to me about how one person has to make the other believe that they don’t lo…care about them? Ducky! I’ve made such a mess of things. I need Gibbs here. He’d know what to do.”
“But you don’t have him, Abby,” Ducky reminded quietly. “And he can’t tell you what the other man and your heart say. That must be your decision and his. Speak with this Jet or L.J.” That was if she could return both men to their homes, whatever that meant.
Sniffing, she pulled away. “I know I don’t have him, Ducky. And I know that’s my fault.” Finding little solace in her friend’s words, Abby turned to go back to work.
“Darling, I wasn’t blaming you, not at all, my dear. I was just reminding you of how pointless it is to give in to the what ifs when Jethro isn’t here anyway.”
Abby looked back to Ducky, trying to see if he really meant what he said. The stress, the encounter with Jet, everything had pushed their weight onto Abby’s shoulders. Turning into Ducky, she let a few tears escape as her body shook.
“Shhh,” Ducky whispered into her shoulder. “Come, sit down. Would you like some more of that soda you fancy or shall I make you a cup of tea. I’ll even put a nip of something else in it, if you like.”
Wiping at the few tear tracks stained with her makeup, she gave him a watery smile. “No, Ducky. Don’t think it’d be a really good idea to have a nip of anything right now. Tea’s for calm afternoons and sharing stories, and Caf-Pows are rewards for figuring something out. Neither one of those apply right now.”
“What then?” he asked her gently. “What can I get you while we put our heads together and figure this out?”
“A time machine?” she asked, trying to make light of the situation.
“Don’t have one of those in my repertoire.”
Giving him a sad smile, she said, “Too bad.”
“Abby, chin up, my dear. We’ll figure this out, and you have met a very interesting man. Why, he may know another Abigail who has followed a different path in life. Have you asked about that?” Ducky paused for a long moment. “Abby, do tell me about him.”
“He’s…amazing Ducky. I can’t…I can’t really explain him. Not well. It’d be like trying to tell someone about you, or Ziva, or…Gibbs.” Sighing, she pushed a little from him, knowing she had to get started soon, trying to figure out how to get Jet home. “I don’t if he knows the other me. But if he knows me from his world, wouldn’t he have said something when he saw me here?”
“Would depend. Perhaps the other you is a blonde who goes by another name. Don’t think I don’t know that your natural hair color is blonde, my dear.”
“Only when I let it grow out, Ducky. But my face would still be the same. I don’t think he knows me, not like that.”
“Perhaps not, Abby,” Ducky said with a sigh. “Might he know of her instead? Perhaps they know each other from the Internet or something. This reminds me of a time when….” He trailed off.
Shrugging her shoulders, she said, “I don’t know, Ducky. Jet’d be the only one who could answer that.”
“Talk to him, learn more about his world, my dear. What differences are there? And explore this as much as you can, remembering that Jethro might be in danger.”
“I would, Duckman, but he’s upstairs, trying to pretend to be Gibbs. And I’m down here, trying to figure out how to bring Gibbs home.”
Ducky knew it wasn’t going to be easy and likely would not be a slow process. “You can do it, my dear…you can.” But the whole situation was impossible…
“I’m going to figure this out, Ducky,” she explained, feeling how unsure he was. “But we need to make sure that Vance doesn’t find out. So, if they need you, if Tony needs you to help them out, better make sure you’re ready too.”
“I’m ready. I’m prepared to assist in anything they need. I always am.” Ducky rubbed her back, wishing he could somehow assure her that it would all be okay.
She gave him a small smile. “Then I’d head to autopsy. If they get a call or a case, Jet/Gibbs will need you there to support his cover.”
“Are you dismissing me?” Ducky asked.
“No, Ducky. Not at all. Sorry, I was distracted. You can stay here. I appreciate the company.”
He rested a gentle hand on her back. “I think you don’t need to be alone.”
“Afraid I’m gonna send you somewhere this time, Ducky?” she tried to tease, though in fact that situation was something she was nervous about.
“I’d welcome any sort of adventure like that,” Ducky assured, and he meant it. Abby knew he had an adventurous heart.
“Yeah, I guess you would. And so would I. I just don’t wanna lose you, ‘kay?” she asked, a tremor in her voice.
“You won’t, darling. I am right here.” Ducky rubbed her back gently. “You know, Mother spoke long ago about other worlds not quite our own…”
“She did?” Abby said, turning towards him. “What’d she say?” Maybe Ducky’s mom had told him something that could help her now.
“Well, I considered it rambling, as she is want to do. Would you care to talk to her? Now that she’s in the home and on her medication, she has a great deal more clarity. She’s always known things…” Ducky didn’t know how to explain it any better.
“When we get a break here, I’d like that, Ducky. I love Victoria. Such a wealth of information, so much spunk. Kinda like her son,” she said, smiling at him.
“Nothing like her son, I’m afraid. She has the adventurous spirit, I’m a pale imitation of her. You just tell me when and we’ll ring her.”
“Oh, Ducky,” Abby exclaimed out of disbelief. “You can’t tell me the man who pushed a police officer over a cliff, who escaped with Gibbs, is a pale imitation. You are the most colorful man I know!”
Ducky colored and stared at the ground. “I’ve had my adventures, but nothing like hers, Abigail. She used to talk about her journeys and travels…” Could those have been the travels to another place, rather than her imaginings? Ducky wondered suddenly and it all clicked together for him. Perhaps he could help the situation.
“Well, if you’re pale in comparison to her, I have no color at all in comparison to you, Duckman. I may look wild, but I haven’t had any adventures, not like you.”
“You shall, my dear. With this new man.” Ducky had a strange feeling about them…
“Don’t go making predictions, Ducky, though I love you for them.” She gave him a quick hug, wishing he really did know. “He has family and loved ones and a life…I can’t ask him to stay, Ducky. I won’t.”
He leaned in close. “Mother isn’t the only one that has a touch of the sight, Abigail…and I see this clearly. You and this man.”
“Or you’re seeing me and our Gibbs. He and I are…we’re family, Ducky. We’ll be together forever. Like you and I are family,” she said, giving him a smile.
“Not you and Jethro, my dear. He’s not had hair that dark since before you came to NCIS. And he’s never kissed you like this Jethro has.”
She gave a very unladylike snort when Ducky said that. “No, Ducky. No, he hasn’t.”
“I can see you have a…bond with him,” Ducky told her solemnly.
“And you very well know I’m not his type, Ducky. Wrong colored hair. Not quite sophisticated enough.”
“Do you know this man, this other Gibbs? Are you qualified to make such an assessment?”
“You mean what’s his type? I don’t know, Ducky. Just met him.” Did more than just meet him. She blushed.
“You have done significantly more than just meet him, my dear. And you will do a great deal more before the sun comes up tomorrow, if my hunches are correct.”
Her blush darkened to a deep crimson as he spoke to her. “Ducky! Please, let’s just…um, concentrate on getting our Gibbs home.”
“Yes, yes, darling. Why don’t we go to see Mother after work? It won’t take very long then you and Jet--your gentleman"can spend some time together.”
“You know I’m always up for seeing Victoria.” As for Jet, she’d have to see. Since he’d left her lab, she hadn’t heard from him or any of the team.
‘It’s a date then,” Ducky said briskly, kissing her cheek. “Now, you try to relax until we talk with Mother.”
After their conversation, she was feeling more resigned now, less nervous, though she was still waiting for the next shoe to drop. Shaking off her morose thoughts, Abby repeated, “A date. I’m looking forward to it. As long as I don’t ship any more of our team to another dimension, I should be fine.”
“Yes, you’ll be fine, darling. Now get on with you work. I think I shall relax here for some time. Autopsy is quite dead, if you’ll pardon the pun.”
“Make yourself comfortable, Duckman. Wanna put on some Android Lust for us?” She still loved how much Ducky and she had in common when it came to music.
Ducky chuckled and wandered over to the music player. “Which disc most suits you today, Abigail?”
“Surprise me, Duckman. It’ll only fit the day that much more.”
Ducky slipped the latest disc in and turned it to a low volume. He watched her dance around the room, a small smile on his face. She needed this break before things heated up again. And heat up they would!
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.