Laboring To Love

Week One

"All right, Agent David, one more time from the beginning." Fornell was tired and frustrated and was beginning to lose his temper. "You must have seen something."

"Only what I have already told you a dozen times, Fornell. Gibbs was driving, Tony was in the passenger seat. The Director was in the middle of the back seat, McGee was to his left, I was on his right side. We pulled into the parking garage. Gibbs shut off the engine before he saw something in the rear view mirror. I saw his reaction and I turned to look. There was a man, he was wearing a gas mask and a hood. He raised a weapon. McGee shoved the Director down onto the floorboard and I attempted to draw my weapon. The suspect fired once, it was some type of gas canister that broke through the rear window. That is the last thing I remember until I woke up alone in the parking garage." The short, terse sentences were a testament to how stressed the Israeli was, even before she slammed her hands down on the table. "We need to be out there looking for them, not sitting here remashing what I do not remember."

"Actually, it's rehashing, and you must know that any little thing..."

The door banged open and the SecNav stormed in, Jackie Vance on his heels. "Agent David is correct. What do we know so far? Has Homeland Security picked up on any chatter?"

Fornell tried to not look at Jackie. He never did well with upset women, probably one of the reasons he was divorced. "Nothing, Mr. Secretary. Every agency has agents on the ground and checking with all of their sources. There hasn't been the slightest uptick in activity."

Jarvis rubbed at his forehead, refusing to admit he was out of his element. "Are you suggesting that this was a targeted attack against this agency alone?"

"At this point, we can't rule it out. For all we know, Gibbs' team was the real target and Director Vance was just unlucky to be with them at the time."

Everyone in the room looked at Ziva, who seemed thoughtful as she quickly reviewed the active cases the team was working. "We have been tracking a drug ring that appears to be operating out of Quantico."

"Seems a little bit extreme for some drug dealers. What about cases that are headed to court? Anybody on the team testifying?"

"Tony and I are scheduled to testify in an assault case in two weeks. I believe McGee is to testify the week after that on a different case."

Fornell shook his head as he looked over at Jarvis. "Still doesn't fit."

"So you're saying that Leon was the real target?" Jackie was clinging to Jarvis's hand. "Where were his regular drivers? Why was he squeezed into a car with four other people instead of riding in the SUV?"

The attention again returned to Ziva. "Director Vance was running late, and when he and his drivers came downstairs, the SUV would not start. Our team was providing security for the banquet, so he rode with us." Ziva frowned as she thought it over. "That does not make sense. If they were targeting Director Vance, why sabotage his car? That just put more people around him."

"Because more people is what they wanted."

They all turned to stare at Trent Kort, standing in the doorway. Fornell reacted first. "And how do you know who they are and what they want?"

Kort turned his head to look at the two way mirror. "Let's take this someplace more private, shall we?"

When he turned and walked back out of the room, the rest of them scrambled to catch up. Kort didn't say anything in the elevator, but both Fornell and Ziva noticed that he carefully kept his blind side nearest the wall, protecting himself.

Once inside Vance's office, Jackie had to force back a scathing remark when Kort took his seat at the head of the conference table. Kort ignored her and turned to Clayton Jarvis. "Operation Frankenstein."

Jarvis bit back a curse. He'd hoped to never hear that code name again. Kort smirked at him and pulled a photo out of his jacket pocket before tossing it on the table. It showed a thin, dour faced man in his mid-fifties.

"Dr. Davidson was the medical expert on the team. His expertise wasn't needed all the time, so he continued on with his own private research. The expenses were minimal, so we didn't object – at least not until he had his first fatality. Even then, with the chaos from Cobb going rogue, he was able to keep his personal work going far longer than we had believed. The trucks carrying his work vanished on their way back to Langley two months ago. Last week we found his latest research subject. Davidson needs more bodies and who better than Vance and his top people? If he's successful this time, his work can't be ignored, it's become too high profile."

"Research? Human subjects?" Fornell glanced over at Jarvis for a second before continuing. "Just what in the hell was this man studying?"

"Male pregnancy."

Jarvis had to shout to be heard over the shocked objections. "Male pregnancy, are you nuts? That's impossible."

Kort leaned back in his chair. "Well, I'll let your Dr. Mallard decide that. Davidson's last research subject was just delivered for him to examine."

"This I've got to see." Fornell was up on his feet and headed out the door before Kort had the photo picked back up, the rest of the group right on his heels.

-NCIS-

"Oh, hello, is there any word?" Ducky looked up when the door slid open, surprised to see Kort following behind Fornell and Jarvis. While he was waiting for an answer, he took Jackie's hand and led her over to sit next to Abby at his desk. Jimmy poured another cup of tea, slightly nervous as Ziva paced behind him.

"Ducky, was a body delivered a little while ago?" Abby immediately panicked at Fornell's question and he rushed to reassure her. "It's not anybody from your team."

Ducky was about to tell them no, but he heard the cargo elevator doors open and the familiar squeak of rubber wheels coming down the hallway. He met two men he didn't recognize, but they nodded to Kort before pushing the gurney into Autopsy. Ducky and Jimmy took over and moved it next to one of the steel tables before transferring the body bag over. There was no paperwork, so Ducky cautiously unzipped the bag. Despite Fornell's assurances, he didn't relax until he was looking at an unfamiliar face. Next he opened the bag further, freezing when he saw the large, rounded abdomen.

"Oh, my."

Fornell snapped on one glove before carefully touching the body, remembering how Diane had felt when she'd carried Emily. "How is this possible?"

"Davidson has been developing an artificial womb." Kort stepped closer to look down on the body. "Apparently, he doesn't have all the bugs worked out."

"Are you saying that this Frankenstein doctor wants to do this to my husband?" Jackie had shaken off Jimmy's support and rejoined them around the table, Abby right next to her.

"One of the four will be the subject."

It was now apparent to Ziva why they didn't bother to take her as well. "And the others?"

Kort couldn't quite hide the smirk. "Somebody's got to be the daddy."

a/n - Yep, it's happened. Em has written a MPreg. I'll be posting updates on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays, so stay tuned.