Going the Distance Chapter 10: The Hammer's Comin' Down, a ncis fanfic

Going the Distance

Disclaimer:
As always, I own nothing.

Rating:
M

Genre:
Romance/Hurt/Comfort/Family

Pairing:
Tibbs

Lyrics Used:
Anna Calvi - "The Heart of You"
Nickelback "The Hammer's Comin' Down"
The Cheetah Girls "A La Nanita Nana"

The Hammer's Comin' Down

You are illicit | You are the shield against the fire | Of all that's hollow | Of all the bodies on the pyre

I am unshaken | I am the one who will appear | As a long rising sound | That trembles in your ear

After Lena's body had been cleared away and dealt with, that just left one issue to deal with. The issue of jurisdiction. When a CIA operative is found dead in the home of an NCIS agent who goes missing the very same night, the lines become virtually invisible.

"A CIA operative was shot dead." Arthur Campbell declared. "That makes it CIA's jurisdiction." He reasoned, firmly.

"Yeah, and an NCIS agent was abducted." Tony growled, agitated by the waste of time. "That makes this NCIS jurisdiction."

"That's purely speculation." Arthur countered, trying to placate the agitated agent. "You don't know that Agent Gibbs was abducted."

"I found a fucking syringe on the floor!" Tony roared, unable to contain himself, any longer. "What part of that says 'speculation' to you?! A man who is eight and a half months pregnant is not just gonna shove a needle in his arm and-"

"Boys! Boys!" Annie interjected, standing between the DCS and the NCIS agent who was rapidly advancing on him. "I think we can all agree that this is no time for a pissing contest!" She barked, fighting her own agitations. "We can pull the tape measures out, later. Right now, I think we can all agree that the primary objective is to find my brother and bring him home, safe and sound." There was a series of nods all around her as the various agents from both agencies agreed with her sentiment. "Good. Now, I think I might have a solution that everybody will be able to live with." She added, carefully, hoping to settle the dispute once and for all.

"I'm listening." Arthur Campbell prompted, curiously.

"Look, I know Leroy's team won't be able to not look for my brother." Annie began, carefully. "They all love him as much as I do and want him back just the same. And, I think we can all agree that both agencies – as well as Leroy – could benefit from a little inter-agency cooperation." She added, steeling herself for any resistance that she might be met with. "Now, if Arthur and Joan have no objections, I'd like to propose that NCIS comes to Langley and works in cooperation with us to find my brother."

The various NCIS agents gathered around all exchanged anxious glances as Joan and Arthur Campbell exchanged looks as if discussing the possibility telepathically. Finally, Arthur broke the silence. "I have one condition."

"What?" Tony growled, through gritted teeth, earning himself a smack on the arm from Ziva.

"I want the CIA to run point." Arthur declared, his voice final, leaving no room for argument. "Annie's the best around when it comes to search and rescue missions – she's single-handedly worked more search and rescue operations than anyone the NCIS has to offer. "I know she's the one I'd want coming for me, if I were in Jethro's shoes."

Before Tony could argue, Abby gripped his arm – hard – as she whispered, quietly. "He's right. Look, I know you don't like giving up control … But, they have better resources and they will find Gibbs." She hissed, as Tony's body language softened.

"Fine." Tony relinquished, hating handing over point to another agency. The only reason he agreed, in the first place, was because he knew he could trust Annie.

"One other thing, Arthur." Annie spoke, carefully, catching Tony's reluctant acquiescence. "I'd like Agent DiNozzo to run point with me, on this." Catching the two dumbfounded looks, she carried on. "It makes sense. Tony is Leroy's second in command – the team leader in my brother's absence. He's their senior field agent and – as this is going to be a joint effort, it makes sense to have agents from both agencies run point, together."

"It makes sense." Joan offered, in agreement. "God knows no one is more motivated to find Jethro than his sister and his lover." She reasoned.

"All right." Arthur finally acquiesced. "Annie and DiNozzo are both running point."

"All right, everyone." Annie spoke, her voice loud with an air of authority, as she addressed the group of CIA and NCIS agents gathered around her in the briefing room at Langley. "As most of you may or may not already know. This is NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs." She added, pulling up a photo of her brother on the big screen behind her. "My brother." Jethro'd be proud if he could see his baby sister, right now. Tony thought to himself as he watched the younger Gibbs address the various agents around her. "Earlier this evening, Special Agent DiNozzo, called me – reporting that my brother had been abducted."

"Do we know who took him?" Ziva questioned.

"I have my suspicions." Annie replied, darkly. "I've been hearing some chatter, recently, that Henry Wilcox has been waiting until the right time to abduct Leroy with the intent to hold him hostage until the baby is born." She elaborated. "At which time, he means to kill Leroy and disappear with his granddaughter."

"How far along is Agent Gibbs?" One of the CIA operatives questioned.

"Currently, my brother is thirty-four weeks pregnant." Annie replied, horrified realization dawning on the faces all around her. "My sentiments, exactly." She agreed, catching the looks she was getting. "Now, I know that doesn't leave us much time to find my brother and bring him back home, safely." She conceded. "Which is why I want every available operative working on this. McGee, I want you and Abby helping Auggie out in tech ops. I want you to trace Henry's movements by any means necessary. His phone, credit and debit card activity – I don't care – find him!" She barked as the three aforementioned operatives nodded, curtly, before setting off to their assignments. "Agents David, DiNozzo, and myself will lead the charge in the field. I want everybody else combing through anything and everything we've got on Henry Wilcox until we can pinpoint where he'd hide out with Leroy!" With orders assigned, the agents all went their separate ways.

"You really think we'll be able to find him, in time?" Tony asked, anxiously.

"We have to." Annie replied, darkly. "I've been hunting Henry Wilcox for too long to fail, now."

Slowly, Gibbs blinked against the lights in the room around him, still somewhat groggy. As he finally came to, completely – he remembered what had happened, the night before. He tried to get up – to find some way out – when he felt his wrists strapped to the sides of the bed he was laying in. His feet were bound, as well.

"Ahhh, so good to see you awake." Henry patronized. "Oh, don't worry." He added, taking in the concerned expression on the father-to-be's face. "I had the knock-out serum specially designed to render you unconscious without jeopardizing your baby girl."

"You unimaginable bastard." Gibbs seethed, still struggling futilely against the restraints binding his extremities. "What the hell do you want from me?" He demanded, masking his fear by lashing out in anger.

"Well, now, that's really quite simple, my dear boy." Henry replied, pacing around in front of the bed where Jethro lay. "What I want is kill you and start a new life with my granddaughter."

"You'll never get away with this." Jethro seethed. "It's just a matter of time before they find you."

"Ahh, yes." Henry concurred. "But, you see … I've always been able to stay one step ahead of my friends at the CIA." He added, cockily. "By the time, they catch up to me, my granddaughter and I'll be long gone."

"Maybe." Jethro conceded, cryptically. "But, you're forgetting something."

"And, just what might that be?" Henry questioned, with an air of bemused curiosity to his voice.

"You've kidnapped an agent from a second federal agency." Jethro smirked. "You may be able to stay one step ahead of Langley. … But, can you stay one step ahead of both Langley and NCIS?"

Two Weeks Later

Once it's started, there's no turning back | But, I'll be with you when the sky turns black | 'Cause finding faith will always be the hardest | While you're standing in the heart of darkness

If there is one thing I can promise you | We'll see the light again

"We're runnin' outta time." Tony sighed, hunched over the vacant desk across from Annie in the CIA's bullpen. "Jethro's due date is one month from today."

"Yeah, I know …" Annie sighed. "Which means, that baby could be making her grand entrance into the world, any day, now."

"I know." Tony replied sighed, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "God – I hate this!" He added, in a sudden, angry, outburst, as he slammed his fists on the desk. "I hate this, Annie." He added, his voice notably more subdued. "I promised him … I swore to him that I'd be there with him when he has the baby."

Reaching out across the desks between them, Annie's heart went out to the man before her as she gently took Tony's hand in her own. "And, you will be." She added, her voice sounding so sure and confident that Tony desperately wanted to believe her. "We're gonna find him, Tony … And, I will personally take down the son of a bitch that put in this position." There was no need to clarify who 'the son of a bitch' was.

"For Jethro's sake – and the baby's – I really hope you're right." Tony replied, hating the feeling of helplessness that had taken hold of him the moment he'd realized that Jethro was missing and refused to let go. "I really hope you're right."

"Gibbs! Gibbs! Gibbs!" Abby came barreling into the bullpen, with a bemused Auggie bringing up the rear behind her. "Sorry!" Abby apologized. "Just – force of habit."

"Abby, sweetie, just get to the point." Annie replied, ever-so-patiently.

"Right!" Abby replied, gathering her thoughts. "So, Auggie wrote this bad-ass algorithm and – long story short – we were able to sort through a ton of shell companies and ghost transactions and we found where Henry Wilcox is holding Gibbs!"

"That's fantastic!" Tony cried, jumping out of his seat.

"I could kiss you guys, right now!" Annie replied, equally excited, grabbing her badge and her gun and racing for the door with Tony hot on her heels. "SEND THE COORDINATES TO MY PHONE!" She shouted over her shoulder. "ZIVA! WE GOT HENRY! AND, I WANT A MED TEAM BEHIND US!" She shouted, as the remaining member of Team Gibbs hurriedly joined them.

"Does she always do that?" Abby questioned, curiously, after Annie and Tony disappeared.

"Every time." Auggie smiled. "The coordinates are already on her phone."

"You … are a rock star!" Abby grinned, wrapping Auggie in one of her famous hugs.

"I try." Auggie replied, smirking mischievously, as he returned to his station.

What felt like hours later, Annie, Tony, and Ziva were pulling up outside of an abandoned warehouse. "Why do the bad guys always have to hide out in the same abandoned warehouse?" Tony commented.

"Because the bad guys have no imagination." Annie replied, parking the car as they all got out, making their way toward the building. "Though, I must say … I really expected more from Henry Wilcox."

Positioning themselves at the entrance to the building, the three agents fell silent as Annie signaled for Tony to take the opposite side of the door with Ziva backing him up. Mouthing the numbers, Annie signaled a count to three before the agents stormed the building.

The pain had been gradually increasing in Jethro's abdomen as he felt his uterine muscles contracting in regular intervals. Shit. He thought to himself, plastering a cool facade on his face to mask the pain. Not here, princess … Not like this. This could not be happening, right now. He was not going to have his baby in this abandoned warehouse.

Though, he guessed he should have known that his captor would see right through the facade. "Ah … Looks like our little princess will be making her grand entrance at any moment, now …" Henry taunted, causing Henry's insides to churn. "You forget, Leroy, that I'm a father, myself … I remember the day my ex-wife went into labor with Jai … I recognize the signs of labor when I see them."

Jethro just fought against the pain. He could only hope that Tony and Annie and the others would find him before it was too late. The father-to-be couldn't afford to let himself think about what would happen to his little girl if Henry Wilcox was allowed to touch her.

They had cleared every room they'd come across and Annie was beginning to lose hope. However, her gaze soon met Tony's as they heard a pained cry ring throughout the air. Realization soon registered on both of their faces as they spoke in unison.

"Leroy!"

"Jethro!"

The three agents immediately took off at a dead run in the direction where the sound had come from. They knew they had to be getting close when they were met by a team of armed guards. Being matched three against three, each operative claimed their own guard. Annie soon disarmed her guard with a roundhouse kick to the face. Pinning him to the floor, she holstered her weapon as finished him off with her brother's signature neck-snap.

Tony took a stiff upper cut to the face before sweeping his leg under his guard's feet. Unfortunately, the guard jumped back up – aiming his weapon at Tony. "I don't have time for this shit!" He growled, drawing his own weapon, before firing three rounds into the guard's chest.

Hearing the three shots echoing through the air, Jethro heaved a mental sigh of relief as the latest contraction subsided. They were getting stronger. Soon – he knew – they would get more and more frequent. But, at least there was an end in sight. He knew those shots were Tony coming for him. I knew he'd come … Jethro thought to himself.

"I see your friends have decided to join our little birthday party." Henry smiled, patronizingly.

"I told you you'd never get away with this." Jethro smiled, victoriously.

Ziva dropped in on her guard from behind – wrapping her legs around his neck – as she hung from a beam, overhead. Once the guard fell to the ground, she dropped to the floor, surveying her handiwork with a satisfied smile. "Let's go." Annie spoke, in a hushed and urgent tone.

Following Annie up to the door to a room where they could hear Jethro groaning in pain on the other side of the door. Annie shared a sympathetic look with Tony before she gave a second hand signal for the count to three before kicking the door down, as Tony immediately ran to Jethro's side while Annie and Ziva kept Henry distracted.

"Annie." Henry greeted, in a feigned cheery tone. "So wonderful to see you!" Turning to Ziva, he approached the former Mossad operative. "And, who is this lovely creature?" He purred in a tone that made Annie sick. Rolling her eyes, Ziva silently gripped Henry's wrist as he reached up to caress her face, wrenching away from her face, painfully. "Ah-ha." Henry declared, getting back to the matter at hand. "Feisty … I like that."

The crowd was soon distracted by a loud groan from the bed where Jethro lay. "Any minute, now, I'll have my granddaughter – my only link to my lost son-"

"Kidnapping Jai's daughter won't bring him back." Annie reasoned.

"And, neither will murdering the man your son loved." Ziva piled on.

"I know that." Henry snapped. "I'm not trying to bring Jai back – I'm not a fool." He hissed. "I'm merely a grieving father desperately trying to cling to whatever little shred of his late son he can get his hands on. What's so wrong with that?" However, that question went unanswered as Annie fired a single shot into Henry's head.

Watching Henry fall to the floor, lifeless, Annie turned to Ziva. "Ziva! Get the med team in here – NOW!" She barked, watching the other woman race out of the room, she turned her attention on her brother. "You doin' okay, Leroy?"

"I think it's time." Tony spoke up on his lover's behalf – aching for the pain written in the older man's steely blue eyes. "I think he's in labor."

"How long?" Annie questioned – praying there was still time to get her brother to the hospital before the baby came.

"Few hours." Jethro panted – his chest heaving in exhaustion from fighting to hide the contractions from Henry – gritting his teeth as another one took hold. "They're gettin' stronger and … More frequent." He elaborated with a pained grimace.

"We need to get him to the hospital – now." Tony surmised, carding his fingers through the older man's silver hair in an effort to try to comfort and calm him.

"Ziva!" Annie barked into the comm. "Where the hell is that med team?!" She demanded, urgently. Jethro had to admit … Seeing his baby sister at work, for the first time, he knew he'd never been so proud, in his life. Before she could get a response on her comm link, she saw the med team charging through the door – gurney in hand – while Annie dug through Henry's pockets before locating the key to the shackles around Jethro's wrists and ankles. Once they had him freed, they carefully helped him out of the bed and onto the gurney.

A la nanita nana, nanita ella, nanita ella | Mi niña tiene sueño, bendito sea, bendito sea | A la nanita nana, nanita ella, nanita ella | Mi niña tiene sueño, bendito sea, bendito sea

Sitting in the hospital waiting room, Annie was soon snapped out of her thoughts as she heard her encrypted cell ring. "Gibbs." She answered, curtly.

"Annie." Joan Campbell greeted, relieved that her operative was safe. "I need a sit rep with Leroy."

"Leroy's fine." Annie replied, anxiously. "He was in early labor when we got there. We're at the hospital, now. Tony's in the delivery room with him."

"That's good to hear." Joan replied, relieved to hear that Jethro and his baby would be okay. "What about Henry?" Joan asked, carefully.

"Henry Wilcox is dead." Annie replied, in a cold, lethal, tone that Joan had never heard her use, before.

"Good." Joan replied. "Keep me updated on the progress with Leroy and the baby. I wanna meet that little girl, first chance I get."

"Hey, she's my niece!" Annie smiled. "I get first dibs!" The two women shared a laugh at that comment before saying their goodbyes.

The pain of the contractions had become nearly unbearable as Jethro screamed at the top of his lungs. In moments like this, Tony wished he could take the older man's place. He would have gladly endured the pain of childbirth in Jethro's place if it meant sparing the older man that same pain. "All right, Mr. Gibbs." The doctor spoke, upon having examined Jethro's dilation progress. "You're fully dilated." He announced, happily. "On the next contraction, I want you to start pushing."

Gibbs just nodded his understanding of the directions. In the past, he'd been shot, stabbed, and even blown-up. But, the pain of childbirth was worse than all of those combined. He wasn't sure how much more of it, he could take. Sensing his distress, Tony just clung to his hand even tighter as he spoke words of encouragement. "Babe, I can't even begin to imagine what you must be going through … But, just hang in there. I promise you, I'll stay right here – right by your side the whole time – just like I swore I would." He spoke, gently, using his free hand to stroke the older man's face in the way that he knew always soothed him. "And, all the pain you're going through, now, will all be worth it in the end when you finally get to hold your little girl in your arms for the first time."

Jethro knew Tony was right. He had to focus on his baby girl. He knew holding her in his arms, staring down into her precious little face, would make everything he was enduring, now, all worth it. At that moment, another contraction ripped through his body. "All right, Mr. Gibbs … Push!" The doctor ordered as Jethro bore down on his midsection while clamping down on Tony's hand.

"Ah-oh, God!" Jethro growled, gritting his teeth against the pain. The pain ripped through his entire body as he bore down on the muscles in his abdomen as he growled in pain. Tony offered the only support that he could as he held onto his lover's hand.

"Annie! Annie! Annie!" Abby Sciuto came barreling into the hospital waiting room, bursting with excited energy. "What's going on?! Is Gibbs okay?! Is the baby okay?! Did we miss it?! Did he have the baby?!"

"Abby!" Annie smiled, silencing the young forensic scientist's excited babbling. Leroy was right … Her charm really is endearing. She thought to herself. "Relax! Breathe!" She chuckled, lightly. "Everything is fine. Leroy's fine. The baby's fine. Leroy was just in early labor when we got there. They've got him in delivery, now. Tony's with him and he promised he would let us know the moment the baby comes!"

"Oh, yay!" Abby squealed, excitedly, as Auggie came up to stand next to her. "I can't wait to meet her!"

"I think we're all excited." Auggie smiled, in agreement.

"You can say that again!" Tim McGee agreed, holding out coffee for everyone.

"Thank you!" Annie groaned, in relief. "God, I've been needing this!"

"Amen!" Ziva replied, gratefully accepting the proffered beverage.

"Mm!" The group all startled, taking a drink of their coffees, before turning to catch McGee's mischievous grin from behind his own cup.

"What?!" Tim shrugged, innocently. "I just thought we'd all celebrate Gibbs' return home with his favorite coffee!"

As realization and understanding spread across the faces of the agents around him, everybody chuckled at the inside joke. "Very funny, McGee." Abby grinned. "Now, where's my CaffPow?!" She demanded, crossing her arms, playfully.

"Here you go, Abby." Tim smiled, extending the scientist her favorite beverage of choice.

"We're in the home stretch, now, Mr. Gibbs." The obstetrician smiled, glancing up at the soon-to-be-father. "One more good, strong, push and we're gonna have one more guest at our little party, here."

Watching Jethro's chest heaving with a pure, unadulterated, sheer, exhaustion that he'd never before seen the man lying in the hospital bed display, Tony felt a sense of empathy which only grew with the sound of the man's breathless response. "God, Tony … I don't know … Dunno if I got it in me …"

Tony frantically racked his mind for a way to get through to the older man. Finally, it clicked. "Are you giving up, Marine?!" He demanded, harshly, sounding surprisingly like every drill sergeant in every military-themed movie he'd ever seen. "Are you?!"

As utterly physically and mentally exhausted as he was, Leroy Jethro Gibbs couldn't resist grinning at the younger man's attempt to encourage him. "No, sir." He breathed, tiredly.

"I didn't think so!" Tony barked, just barely managing to fight back the grin that threatened to break out across his face when he saw the fire re-ignite in the older man's eyes. "Now …" He added, his voice softening, gently. "One more push and you can finally hold your little girl in your arms for the first of many, many, times." He smiled, warmly.

Jethro had to smile at that thought. Tony was right. He hadn't come this far to quit, now. The image of his baby girl snuggled into his arms came to the forefront of his mind and he held onto that image for dear life as the final contraction took hold of him. "Oh, God!" He growled, gritting his teeth against the pain as he mustered every last ounce of strength he possessed to bear down on his midsection as he pushed his baby girl out, into the world.

The group of agents around the room had long ago slumped into various chairs around the waiting room. Tim and Ziva had fallen asleep with their heads back, against the wall. Looking to her right, Annie smiled at the sight of Abby asleep on Auggie's shoulder. "You're gonna be in deep, when Leroy finds out." The spy whispered into Auggie's ear so as to prevent waking the forensic scientist. Taking the feigned look of confusion on Auggie's face, Annie smirked as she added. "Don't play dumb with me … You know I've always been able to read you like a book."

Auggie nodded, knowingly. "Yeah … Yeah, I suppose you're right." The tech operative whispered, just as quietly.

"Don't worry." Annie smiled. "Leroy'll approve … Just don't be too surprised if he shows up at either yours or Abby's place, cleaning his sniper rifle after one of your dates." Auggie could practicallyhear Annie's wink even as he visibly paled at the thought of what Leroy could do to him with that rifle. "Course, that's nothing compared to the coffin that Abby sleeps in." Annie smirked as the befuddled expression taking over her handler's face.

However, Auggie's torment was soon cut short when Tony appeared in the waiting room, smiling uncontrollably. "She's here!" He announced, proudly. "Abigail Rhiannon Gibbs was born at five o'three pm weighing in at eight pounds, six ounces, and measuring nineteen inches long."

The tired operatives all jumped to their feet as they found Tony's smile infectious. "That's fantastic!" Abby squealed. "I can't believe you guys named her after me!" She cooed, flattered.

"That was all Jethro." Tony smiled. "He told me about that decision about a month or so ago and asked me to keep it under my hat until the baby was born. He wanted to surprise you with it."

"Mission accomplished." Abby squealed, clinging to Auggie's side, excitedly.

"How's Leroy doin'?" Annie asked, smiling.

"Baby and father are both doing just fine." Tony smiled, relieved that all of their troubles were finally over and that everyone involved was safe and happy and healthy. "Jethro's sound asleep – he pretty much passed out as soon they took Abby to the nursery."

"That's good." Tim chimed in. "He needs the rest – after everything he's been through – he's damn well earned it."

There was a chorus of agreement as the others all hummed and nodded. "Can we see her?" Ziva questioned, eagerly.

"Yeah, right this way." Tony replied, leading them all down to the nursery to meet the newest addition to their steadily growing extended family. "She's so beautiful." Tony couldn't believe that all of the months of helping Jethro heal from losing Jai and prepare for fatherhood had all been leading up to this moment. He thought he loved the little baby girl even just when he saw her as a picture on an ultrasound screen. But, that was nothing compared to the precious little princess that had just entered the world, minutes ago. Anthony DiNozzo Jr. was full-on head-over-heels in love with that baby girl. And, he wouldn't have had it any other way.

Author's Note:
Well, there ya have it, folks. Henry Wilcox is dead. The baby's here. Wow! Hard to believe it. I'm not sure if I'll continue the story or just leave it, here. I'm thinking about a possible sequel story as a sort-of "Where are they now?" kind of deal. Drop me a review if you wanna see the sequel series.

~Skye Coulson