Godson- Part 2
Author: dream-edge
Title: Godson
Summary: PR/NCIS. When an astrophysicist involved in a top-secret project goes missing, Gibbs' team is assigned to find her. But Gibbs' own godson might have more to do with it then he ever imagined. Just what is 'Project Ranger'?
Rating: T
Pairings: Dillon/Ziggy, Doctor K/Tenaya
Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers or NCIS anything related to either franchise
Godson
Chapter 2
The bull pen was silent. Tony, Ziva, and McGee all worked quietly, Tony practically pounding on the keys. "I just don't get it!" He finally snapped. "Why wouldn't he tell us?" The other two ignored him, continuing to work. "I mean, you'd think after he got blown up he'd start telling us these things. And if he has a godson, where's said godson been all these years?"
"Part of 'Project Ranger'." McGee said, finally breaking his silence. He looked up from his computer. "You said that Colonel Gale said that an employee requested our team. At the very least, he works in the building."
"But why didn't he tell us?" Tony demanded, not bothering with what that could mean. Ziva and McGee shared a look then rolled their eyes. "Come on guys!" Tony shouted, standing up and walking into the middle of their circle of desks. "Don't tell me I'm the only one that's hurt that he never even mentioned he had a godson?"
Nothing.
"No, I think you are the only one." A new voice said, making Tony whip around to stare at the young woman standing in the same spot Ziggy had been standing just a few minutes previously. Her hair was long and near black, the bangs done up in braids. Her eyes were dark and amused and she looked like she was trying not to laugh. A young man stood just behind her. He was a few inches taller than her and they shared the same sharp jaw, the same dark hair and eyes, and, from the looks of things, the same cocky smirk.
Tony felt his jaw drop as he stared at him. The woman was familiar, scarily familiar. He recognized her.
Tenaya Kane. And more than likely, her brother, Dillon Kane.
---
There was silence. For once there was complete and utter silence. Gibbs watched with an arched eyebrow as the two people before him stared each other down. Abby was staring rather intently at the young man in front of her, her eyes unwavering and unblinking. Ziggy looked back at her with his customary wide smile and kind brown eyes. Abby had given Gibbs a disappointed and shocked look when he said his godson was right behind him before turning to stare at said godson. A few years ago, during the time the young man had still lived with him, Ziggy would be shifting restlessly under the stare. Now he put up with it calmly.
Finally, apparently sensing that Abby wasn't going to say anything first, Ziggy tilted his head to the side and grinned mischievously. Gibbs had to bit back a groan when he saw it; that grin never meant anything good. "So," Ziggy drawled. "Just how many tattoos do you have?"
Abby blinked in surprise then started to grin. She stepped forward, wrapping Ziggy in a tight hug that he returned easily. "Oh, Gibbs, he's adorable." she said as she pulled back. Ziggy arched an eyebrow, blinked a lot in confusion, but didn't say anything about the comment like he would have before. Ziggy certainly had changed in the time he'd been away, Gibbs thought. If it was a good change or not, he still had yet to see.
"You got anything Abbs?" He asked, stepping between the two. As happy as he was that the two were getting along he'd prefer to have the young doctor Ziggy seemed so fond of safe first. Abby immediately turned towards the laptop resting silently on the table. "Someone definitely tried to break into her computer Gibbs. They did a good job of trying to clean it up but I'm better." She told him, rubbing her hands together proudly.
"They get anything off of it?"
Abby shook her head. "Nope. Tennet had some pretty good defenses Gibbs. Even I can't get through it." She paused then added. "Yet."
Ziggy smiled in amusement. It was an indulgent smile, like a parent gives to a still young and imaginative child. "You won't." He told her. "Doctor K was the best. Especially with computers."
"Oh." She said, turning to look at him. "You sound like you've got a crush." She teased.
He laughed brightly. "I do. But not on her. We're like family."
"So, who do you have a crush on?" Abby asked, fishing for information. They both ignored Gibbs' annoyed groan. "Gotta a girlfriend?"
"I wouldn't say that."
"Ooh." Abby said, stepping closer. "Come on. Give me details! What's her name?"
Ziggy met her eyes squarely and there was a self-assured smile on his face that said that no matter what her reaction was, he didn't care. "Dillon." He told her calmly.
Abby's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh." she said in shock. A nervous laugh fell from her lips. "Wouldn't quite say you have a girlfriend, huh?" she repeated, making Ziggy nod. Despite her shock, Ziggy looked really rather amused than upset.
But the exchange reminded Gibbs of something very important. "Just where is Kane?" He asked, dragging Ziggy's attention back towards him. He knew both Kane’s were very protective of Ziggy and neither, certainly not Dillon, would have let him wander around on his own when they realized that Tennet had been kidnapped.
Ziggy looked away, burying one hand in his hair like he used to do as a child when he knew he'd done something Gibbs wasn't going to like. "Um, I kinda, left without him." he said sheepishly.
Gibbs glared at the much younger man. "Why?" He snapped, the question coming out harsher than he intended. He knew Ziggy could take care of himself- he'd made sure of it- but it was possible they were dealing with a terrorist cell and he would stand a much better chance coming out of an attack alive if Dillon, who was both stronger and faster, was there to back him up. "In case you haven't noticed, a good friend of yours, that you just happen to work with on an above top-secret project," He paused to give Ziggy a look that said they were going to talk about that later. "Has been kidnapped. She could be dead. And you've been running from agency to agency across the state by yourself?"
"I wanted to get here before you started looking at the wrong person." Ziggy defended. "Which apparently I didn't do. Tenaya wouldn't have done this."
"You sure about that?"
Ziggy's expression hardened and he set his shoulders. His gaze was defiant. "I trust Tenaya with my life. I trust her with the world." He said in a clear, strong voice. He was almost daring one of them to argue with him. The confidence he had in her threw Gibbs for a moment. He knew Ziggy could be protective of his friends and he might trust people too easily but there was something in his eyes that told him this was different. This wasn't the kind of trust that could be gained over coffee at Starbucks. This was the kind of trust that only developed when you were forced to put your life in another person's hands daily and they never failed you. This trust had to be earned the hard way; it had to be earned in combat, when under fire.
There was an uneasy silence in the room as Gibbs let that knowledge sink in. After a moment it was broken by the sudden ring of his cell phone. He flipped it open, not moving his gaze from Ziggy's. "Yeah?" There was a pause as he listened to the other end then he nodded. "We'll be right there." he said, snapping the phone closed again. "The Kane’s are here."
The tension in Ziggy's shoulders melted away and was replaced by a wide, beautiful smile. He immediately turned and left the room for the elevators. Gibbs shook his head and moved to follow him, stopping to press an appreciative kiss to Abby's cheek. "Gibbs." Abby called, making him turn back to look at her. "Is Ziggy going to be okay? I mean, you said he worked with Tennet so maybe whoever took her is going to come after him."
"He'll be fine. We'll take care of him. And whatever gets through us, Kane can handle." He told her, completely sure of his words.
He walked out, just barely managing to make it into the elevator before the doors closed. "Do I need to ask about Project Ranger?" he asked, looking at his godson out of the corner of his eye. Ziggy glanced at him then reached forward and hit the power switch, stopping the elevator.
Gibbs arched an eyebrow and turned towards him fully. This must be very important for Ziggy to be the one to stop it. He knew just how important Dillon was to the boy. Ziggy took a deep breath and looked at him with those same confident, defiant eyes. "I can't tell you what it is. I can't tell you what I do. And I can't tell you what it's for. But understand this Jethro. I love my job. I cannot see myself doing anything else. This is what I was meant to do." With that said, Ziggy turned back around and flipped the switch back on. "Once a Ranger." he said confidently. "Always a Ranger."
Gibbs took a good look at his godson and decided that yes, the change was a good one. Ziggy was more confident, more sure of himself and his abilities. Oh, he could still see hints of the young boy that had grown up with him in his wide eyes and bright smile; could still see the sometimes too-curious, too-trusting teenager in the rambling way he talked and subconsciously leaned towards someone else as if for protection. But now he could also see the good, capable young man Ziggy had become. A small smile crossed his lips as the elevator doors started to open for them. He was proud of the person Ziggy was becoming.
But a part of him couldn't help but wonder if Project Ranger had not had a hand in the change.
They calmly exited the elevator and walked towards the bullpen, Ziggy's excitement only noticeable in his suddenly brisk pace. As they came closer they could hear Tony's voice asking with false casualness, "You know you are a suspect in a federal investigation, right?"
"Of course." A female voice said and Ziggy had to smile when he heard the cocky, smart-ass tone Tenaya was using. "I'm not an idiot."
They entered the bullpen, Ziggy stopping when he saw his two friends. Tenaya was stolen Tony's chair and was sitting behind his desk, Dillon standing just behind her. Tony looked annoyed at the theft of his seat while Ziva and McGee looked amused and curious. The conversation trailed off when Tenaya realized her brother's attention had been diverted. Following his gaze she smiled and waved slightly in greeting at her brother's boyfriend. "Hey Zig."
The room turned to look at the two but Ziggy was still staring at Dillon. The older man nodded slightly, the hints of a smile on his face. "Hey, Zig." he greeted warmly.
A wide smile flew across Ziggy's face and he raced forward, a gleeful laugh tumbling past his lips. "Dillon!" he shouted happily as he wrapped his arms around the older man's neck. Dillon's own arms wrapped around his waist and he was easily lifted up off the ground and spun around in a brief circle that made him laugh again. Once his feet were back on the ground, Dillon leaned down and caught his lips in a lazy but passionate kiss, his hands burying in Ziggy's messy hair as their tongues meshed together. A silent message passed through the intimate kiss that no one else was privy to.
"I'm glad you're okay."
Unnoticed by the two men, nearly the entire room was staring at them openly. Slowly, Tony turned his head away from the very strange and unusual scene- especially here at NCIS- to stare around at the others. Ziva was just staring at the two kissing men with raised eyebrows, which was better than his previous outright gaping. She looked slightly dazed but still very appreciative of the display. He turned to look at McGee. The computer geek didn't seem to know what to do or think and was glancing around at everyone for guidance. And finally he looked at Gibbs. The boss didn't actually seem that surprised and was staring at the two with a small smile. After a moment of thought Tony decided the only reason the two weren't both getting slapped for the kiss- hell, make-out session by now- was because one of them was his godson.
Slowly, almost reluctantly, the two men pulled apart. Dillon rested his forehead against Ziggy's, his hands dropping back down to the boy's waist and pulling him even closer. "Don't run away like that Zig." Dillon whispered, ignoring the rest of the room. Ziggy's eyes were closed and he just nodded, his voice breathless and dazed when he replied. "'m sorry."
Gibbs cleared his throat, breaking the two from their trance. They both looked over at him; Ziggy twisting around in Dillon's hold while the older man immediately straightened when he saw just who it was that had interrupted them. Gibbs stared intensely at the man who held his godson's heart. "Kane." He said, not really a greeting. He had long ago accepted that the two loved each other fiercely and there was nothing he could say or do to tear them apart but that didn't mean he wasn't going to remind the oldest Kane that he could make his life a living hell if anything happened to Ziggy every time he saw him. And he sure as hell wasn't going to tell either man that he was growing fond of having Dillon around when Ziggy visited on the holidays.
Dillon nodded. "Sir." he said respectively, making Tenaya roll her eyes and shake her head. Gibbs and Dillon stared at each other for a minute then Gibbs smirked and turned away. However, before anyone could say anything, the Director called down to them from where she was standing on the top floor just outside of MTAC. "As sorry as I am to break up this very cute reunion, there's a call waiting in MTAC."
Gibbs rolled his eyes in annoyance and moved towards the stairs, intending to get it over with as fast as possible so he could continue with the case. "It's not for you Jethro." Jenny interrupted, making them all pause again. She turned her gaze towards Dillon, Tenaya, and Ziggy. "It's for you."
The three traded looks, Ziggy blanching slightly. "It's not... Colonel Gale is it?" He called up to Jenny. She nodded, making him groan and slump against Dillon. "Did I do anything bad?" he asked, looking up at Dillon with wide eyes.
"Well, you did run away." Dillon told him, making Ziggy groan again and turn around to bury his face in Dillon's shoulder. "Hide me." He pleaded. Dillon chuckled softly and traded an amused look with Tenaya.
"Think on the bright side Zig." Tenaya suggested, getting out of Tony's chair; the former homicide detective immediately reclaimed it. "It could be Colonel Truman."
Ziggy let out a long suffering groan, dropping his head back onto Dillon's shoulder even as the man pushed him forward towards the stairs. "Wouldn't that just make my day?" he whined
Gibbs watched them go with a frown. Finally he turned his head to look at Jenny who was still waiting at the top for small group. She met his gaze and shrugged slightly. To his surprise she didn't follow the three into MTAC but waited until the door had closed before walking down the stairs to join them in the bullpen. "Director?" he asked, silently reminding her of the lines the team had that she didn't cross. She looked back at him calmly.
"I've been kicked out of MTAC for a reason Jethro. I would like to know just what that reason is." She told him. "This woman is obviously important. I'm not here to intrude on your investigation. I'm simply curious."
The two stared at each other for a minute. "Something feel off Jen?" Gibbs asked. She frowned slightly. "Maybe. I'm not sure yet." She looked back at him. "Did you know that one young man Jethro?"
"That's his godson." Tony told her quickly, sinking into his chair with a soft sigh. Jenny frowned briefly before her eyes widened and her gaze shot back up to the door to MTAC. "That was Ziggy? Jethro he doesn't look anything like the boy in the picture you showed me."
Gibbs rolled his eyes in part-amusement, part-exasperation as he told her, "That was nine years ago Jen. And it was the one time he ever managed to do something with his hair." He didn't wait for her to say something else before he turned to his team. "Anyone got anything new?"
"I do boss." McGee said. "It's about Project Ranger." He stood up when Gibbs motioned for him to continue. He picked up the remote for the plasma and pushed a button. Immediately the blank screen filled with the image of a wheel decorated with the letters RPM. Beneath it was the tag-line Gibbs had heard Ziggy mutter: 'Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger.' McGee turned towards the group. "I still haven't been able to figure out exactly what it is but apparently the Project has been running for about four years. The first year it didn't seem to be going anywhere. Just as the government was going to shut it down, Tennet came in. From the looks of things it's almost as if she started to run the Project by herself. From the reports I could access, the Project started to succeed in leaps and bounds. Without Tennet, the Project probably never would have gotten off the ground. About a month after she joined, she brought in seven more people."
He clicked the button and a group of seven pictures appeared. All depicted a different person. "Captain Scott Truman, Air Force. He's father's a Colonel in the Army and his brother is a Major. Flynn McAllistair, a jack-of-all-trades. He's father is a mechanic. Summer Landsdown is training as a medic and is the heir to the Landsdown fortune. Dillon Kane and his sister live by themselves and have since their parents died nine years ago. Ziggy Grover is, ah... collage gradate, orphaned at 10 when his parents died in a car crash and he went to live with his godfather. Gem and Gemma Hu, I... uh, have nothing on them boss. It's like they just appeared overnight." He told them.
"From what I can gather, whatever the Project is about, these seven are in the center of it boss."
Gibbs didn't say anything, just stared at the picture of Ziggy, his eyes occasionally flickering towards the door to MTAC. After a minute, Jenny decided that it would be better to pull him out of his thoughts, where ever they may be, and asked McGee tentatively, "Did you find anything connecting these people to each other or Doctor Tennet besides Project Ranger?"
McGee shook his head. "Not a thing. Before joining the Project none of them had ever met. And what's strange is that despite how classified the Project is and the fact that it's run by a Colonel, the only person with any actual military training is Captain Truman."
"So the question becomes," Ziva stated from where she was leaning against the front of her desk. "What makes these people, civilians with barely any military training, more suited for the Project then any of the well-trained and highly-experienced soldiers available?"
"They have heart." Gibbs said, "And for a Project like this, you need some one who believes in what they're doing." He turned to look at his team and Director. "I asked Ziggy about the Project on the way up from Abby's lab. He told me only one thing. He could never see himself doing anything else."
Ziggy's voice drifted down to them suddenly, soft and warm, "Once a Ranger, always a Ranger."
They all turned to see Ziggy sitting on stairs, Dillon and Tenaya on either side of him. There was a gentle smile on Ziggy's face and as he stood up, his eyes looked relieved. "Is there a room where we can talk? That isn't the elevator, because that's not big enough."
Tenaya turned her head slowly to look at him. "Huh?" she asked.
"He uses elevators when he needs to talk to a person privately. Shuts them down between floors." Ziggy told her. He looked down at Jethro and grinned. "The technicians here hate him."
Tenaya thought about it for a minute then said, "That is brilliant. Why have we never thought of doing that?"
Ziggy shook his head and ignored her. "SecNav and Colonel Gale have agreed that without an in-depth knowledge of Project Ranger and the people working on it, you cannot reasonably find suspects and track down any leads. We have been given permission to debrief anyone that Supervisory Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs trusts beyond reason and is essential to solving the case and finding Doctor Tennet on the Project. We will need a room." He told them all in a clear voice but the expression on his face said that the needed formalities really annoyed him.
Roughly five minutes later the three members of Project Ranger, Gibbs' team, Abby, Ducky, and Director Sheppard were gathered in the newly empty MTAC. "You all understand that whatever we tell you here, you can't repeat?" Tenaya asked. They all nodded.
Abby slowly raised her hand. "Um, I have a question." She said slowly. "You all seem very eager to tell us about the Project. Shouldn't the people in charge be a bit more, oh I don't know, hush hush about it?"
"From the ever beginning, Project Ranger was supposed to go public once it hit a certain point in its progress." Dillon answered. "We're only about a few months work away from that point. Since Ziggy here trusts you all can stay silent for that period, we have no problem telling you."
Abby nodded, obviously thinking about it. "Oh. That makes sense."
"Ziggy." Gibbs said, staring hard at his godson. "What is Project Ranger?"
The young man gulped slightly and looked down at his hands. Sensing his anxiety, Dillon reached forward and laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Ziggy gave him a grateful smile and turned to stare at the room at large. "Project Ranger is meant to consist of a team of seven people, called Operators, who are to deal with home land security and defense, the retrieval of hostages in foreign countries, and occasional black-ops missions that only the team can complete due to our access to certain technologies, weapons, and abilities. The Operators are to be assisted at all times by a military head and a small team of scientists." He told them calmly.
"So, Project Ranger is meant to be nothing more than another part of your military?" Ziva questioned, looking confused. Ziggy thought about it for a minute than nodded. "That's one way of putting it. I guess you could also look at it like a weapons program."
Gibbs was still staring at Ziggy intensely, hearing what he wasn't saying. "What do you call it?"
Ziggy took a deep breath as if knowing that his answer would not go over well and slowly met his godfather's eyes. "We are not going to be part of the military and creating weapons is only part of it. We are making... super-soldiers."
There was a moment of silence as everyone attempted to digest that piece of knowledge. Gibbs leaned back in his seat, taking a deep breath. This was not what he had expected. Ziggy had never told him much about what he did at work and he was still getting used to the fact that he was part of a top-secret project. But this...? This was not what he had expected at all. He wasn't sure if he could handle this.
Finally Tony broke the silence at ask, "Super-soldier? You’re kidding right?"
This time it was Tenaya who answered. "About a month before Kat joined the Project she wrote a paper on a net of energy present in our upper-atmosphere. It is created due to a mix of the earth's rotation, geomagnetism, the moon's gravity, and solar flares. She theorized that if the Grid could be harnessed we could greatly improve energy usage, weapons efficiency, medicine, anything and everything. Project Ranger is supposed to harness that energy and use it to improve living people. We designed it so that the energy travels through the body by the use of a device called a 'morpher', which is activated by the push of a button or lever and the saying of a key phrase and secured through voice recognition and DNA sequencing. The energy then surrounds the body and encases it in a suit of sorts. The suit allows the user to become faster and stronger than the average person.
"Also, we have discovered an unexpected, though not unfortunate, side affect of the energy. Once used for the first time the energy, the Power, lingers in the body even when not being used. It makes the user more energetic and gives them a faster healing rate. Although we are loath to use the term, Ziggy is right in saying we are creating super-soldiers."
For a long time no one said anything. It was Ziva who spoke first this time. "If Hamas or al-Qa'ida gets their hands on the technology you have created it would not end well."
All three nodded as one. "We know." Dillon said. "That's why we need to find her as soon as possible. The Doc's strong but I don't think she's ever been interrogated before."
"It would have to be an inside job." Jenny observed. "Any one you don't trust?"
"No." Ziggy and Dillon said at the same time Tenaya said "Yes." The three paused and shared looks, communicating with their eyes. "A young scientist." Tenaya said, not looking away from her brother and his boyfriend. "He joined the Project as an assistant four months ago. He seems perfectly harmless but I know no one else there would do this."
"What's his name?"
A look of intense anger swept over Ziggy's face as he gritted out, "Turner Sierra."
---
Ziggy stared at the young man sitting in the interrogation room, trying to understand what he was thinking. Turner had acted like a little puppy during his time with the Project. He had started to get very annoying but everyone had thought him harmless. Even Kat. And maybe that's why they were in this position. "Jethro." he called to his godfather, who was standing near the door watching him. "If he doesn't say anything in fifteen minutes, we do things our way."
Gibbs stared at his godson for a long minute, taking in the angry hunch of his shoulders and his clenched hands. His reflection looked pissed. The door opened suddenly, permitting Tony, Ziva, McGee, Tenaya, and Dillon. It made it a bit crowded as the room wasn't meant to hold this many people and he didn't doubt that the Director, along with Abby and Ducky, were watching what was happening up in MTAC. He pushed himself off the wall and headed for the door, glancing over at Ziggy again.
Dillon was standing next to him, an arm wrapped loosely around his shoulders in comfort. As Gibbs stared at the two he realized that Ziggy hadn't been making a suggestion. They'd go in with or without his permission.
---
The young scientist jumped when Gibbs slammed the door open, looking up at him with wide eyes. In the next room Tony snickered to himself. "He is not going to last." He observed cheerfully.
"What's going on?" Turner asked. "I was going home and I suddenly got pulled over and brought here. I've been waiting in here for ever."
Gibbs ignored him, slamming a picture of Tennet onto the table. "Where is she, Sierra?" he demanded. Turner was staring at the picture in confusion. Finally he looked back at him. "I don't know!"
"We have your finger-prints on her laptop, the owner of a grocery shop saying he saw you 'helping' Tennet into your car because she was passed out, and we have recordings of you talking to well-known terrorists." Gibbs snapped, the lies flowing easily off his tongue. "You’re going away for terrorism. You want help, tell me where she is! And she better be alive for your sake!"
Turner shook his head rapidly. "I'm telling you I don't know anything about this!"
Gibbs straightened and pointed angrily to the glass behind him. "I also have three very pissed off members of Project Ranger in the next room. One of which happens to be Tennet's girlfriend! And all three can't wait to get their hands on you."
The minute the words left his mouth, Turner paled drastically. "Kane?" He squeaked, his eyes wide in horror. "Tenaya Kane is here?"
Gibbs turned to stare at the glass and motioned with his head for the young woman to come in. Almost immediately the door opened and Tenaya walked in. She didn't shut the door again, allowing Dillon and Ziggy to rest against the frame and watch the three inside. "Where's K?" Tenaya demanded, her voice sharp and hard. Despite that she was doing a remarkable job of holding in her anger.
"I don't know!!!"
Ziggy snorted in amusement and whispered out. "You know Turner. There is a reason you don't piss of the woman who was an evil robot trying to take over the world in a past life." he said cheerfully. Tenaya seemed to get some sort of permission from that because she walked forward and easily wrapped her hand around Turner's neck and slammed him against the wall. Although her movements were rough, Gibbs could tell her hold on him was gentle and wouldn't even bruise. Yet.
"How much?" Dillon asked. "Did they pay you to give them the Doc?"
Turner shook his head as much as he could in Tenaya's grip. "Wasn't supposed to be like this. I was supposed to get the files off her computer and hand it to them. Katherine was never supposed to get involved."
Tenaya's grip tightened greatly and, much too every one's surprise, she shifted and easily lifted him off the ground. Behind the glass, Tony whistled in appreciation. "If that is what they can do without the Power from the Grid." Ziva said, shaking her head in amazement. "I fear what they will be able to do with it."
"Why not just give them the laptop?" Tenaya demanded, her voice filled with rage. "It had all her files on the Rangers!"
"I was..." Turner tried to choke out, his hands trying to pull her hand away weakly. "trying to get... the virus. Heard you talking about it. Thou-thought if I could find it I could...could sell it. She wasn't- going to us- use it anyway."
Tenaya frowned and glanced over her shoulder at the two men in the doorway. Ziggy's eyes widened in horror and realization and he took a step back in surprise. "They're not after Project Ranger." he breathed, closing his eyes tightly.
"They're after Project Venjix."
Title: Godson
Summary: PR/NCIS. When an astrophysicist involved in a top-secret project goes missing, Gibbs' team is assigned to find her. But Gibbs' own godson might have more to do with it then he ever imagined. Just what is 'Project Ranger'?
Rating: T
Pairings: Dillon/Ziggy, Doctor K/Tenaya
Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers or NCIS anything related to either franchise
Godson
Chapter 2
The bull pen was silent. Tony, Ziva, and McGee all worked quietly, Tony practically pounding on the keys. "I just don't get it!" He finally snapped. "Why wouldn't he tell us?" The other two ignored him, continuing to work. "I mean, you'd think after he got blown up he'd start telling us these things. And if he has a godson, where's said godson been all these years?"
"Part of 'Project Ranger'." McGee said, finally breaking his silence. He looked up from his computer. "You said that Colonel Gale said that an employee requested our team. At the very least, he works in the building."
"But why didn't he tell us?" Tony demanded, not bothering with what that could mean. Ziva and McGee shared a look then rolled their eyes. "Come on guys!" Tony shouted, standing up and walking into the middle of their circle of desks. "Don't tell me I'm the only one that's hurt that he never even mentioned he had a godson?"
Nothing.
"No, I think you are the only one." A new voice said, making Tony whip around to stare at the young woman standing in the same spot Ziggy had been standing just a few minutes previously. Her hair was long and near black, the bangs done up in braids. Her eyes were dark and amused and she looked like she was trying not to laugh. A young man stood just behind her. He was a few inches taller than her and they shared the same sharp jaw, the same dark hair and eyes, and, from the looks of things, the same cocky smirk.
Tony felt his jaw drop as he stared at him. The woman was familiar, scarily familiar. He recognized her.
Tenaya Kane. And more than likely, her brother, Dillon Kane.
---
There was silence. For once there was complete and utter silence. Gibbs watched with an arched eyebrow as the two people before him stared each other down. Abby was staring rather intently at the young man in front of her, her eyes unwavering and unblinking. Ziggy looked back at her with his customary wide smile and kind brown eyes. Abby had given Gibbs a disappointed and shocked look when he said his godson was right behind him before turning to stare at said godson. A few years ago, during the time the young man had still lived with him, Ziggy would be shifting restlessly under the stare. Now he put up with it calmly.
Finally, apparently sensing that Abby wasn't going to say anything first, Ziggy tilted his head to the side and grinned mischievously. Gibbs had to bit back a groan when he saw it; that grin never meant anything good. "So," Ziggy drawled. "Just how many tattoos do you have?"
Abby blinked in surprise then started to grin. She stepped forward, wrapping Ziggy in a tight hug that he returned easily. "Oh, Gibbs, he's adorable." she said as she pulled back. Ziggy arched an eyebrow, blinked a lot in confusion, but didn't say anything about the comment like he would have before. Ziggy certainly had changed in the time he'd been away, Gibbs thought. If it was a good change or not, he still had yet to see.
"You got anything Abbs?" He asked, stepping between the two. As happy as he was that the two were getting along he'd prefer to have the young doctor Ziggy seemed so fond of safe first. Abby immediately turned towards the laptop resting silently on the table. "Someone definitely tried to break into her computer Gibbs. They did a good job of trying to clean it up but I'm better." She told him, rubbing her hands together proudly.
"They get anything off of it?"
Abby shook her head. "Nope. Tennet had some pretty good defenses Gibbs. Even I can't get through it." She paused then added. "Yet."
Ziggy smiled in amusement. It was an indulgent smile, like a parent gives to a still young and imaginative child. "You won't." He told her. "Doctor K was the best. Especially with computers."
"Oh." She said, turning to look at him. "You sound like you've got a crush." She teased.
He laughed brightly. "I do. But not on her. We're like family."
"So, who do you have a crush on?" Abby asked, fishing for information. They both ignored Gibbs' annoyed groan. "Gotta a girlfriend?"
"I wouldn't say that."
"Ooh." Abby said, stepping closer. "Come on. Give me details! What's her name?"
Ziggy met her eyes squarely and there was a self-assured smile on his face that said that no matter what her reaction was, he didn't care. "Dillon." He told her calmly.
Abby's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh." she said in shock. A nervous laugh fell from her lips. "Wouldn't quite say you have a girlfriend, huh?" she repeated, making Ziggy nod. Despite her shock, Ziggy looked really rather amused than upset.
But the exchange reminded Gibbs of something very important. "Just where is Kane?" He asked, dragging Ziggy's attention back towards him. He knew both Kane’s were very protective of Ziggy and neither, certainly not Dillon, would have let him wander around on his own when they realized that Tennet had been kidnapped.
Ziggy looked away, burying one hand in his hair like he used to do as a child when he knew he'd done something Gibbs wasn't going to like. "Um, I kinda, left without him." he said sheepishly.
Gibbs glared at the much younger man. "Why?" He snapped, the question coming out harsher than he intended. He knew Ziggy could take care of himself- he'd made sure of it- but it was possible they were dealing with a terrorist cell and he would stand a much better chance coming out of an attack alive if Dillon, who was both stronger and faster, was there to back him up. "In case you haven't noticed, a good friend of yours, that you just happen to work with on an above top-secret project," He paused to give Ziggy a look that said they were going to talk about that later. "Has been kidnapped. She could be dead. And you've been running from agency to agency across the state by yourself?"
"I wanted to get here before you started looking at the wrong person." Ziggy defended. "Which apparently I didn't do. Tenaya wouldn't have done this."
"You sure about that?"
Ziggy's expression hardened and he set his shoulders. His gaze was defiant. "I trust Tenaya with my life. I trust her with the world." He said in a clear, strong voice. He was almost daring one of them to argue with him. The confidence he had in her threw Gibbs for a moment. He knew Ziggy could be protective of his friends and he might trust people too easily but there was something in his eyes that told him this was different. This wasn't the kind of trust that could be gained over coffee at Starbucks. This was the kind of trust that only developed when you were forced to put your life in another person's hands daily and they never failed you. This trust had to be earned the hard way; it had to be earned in combat, when under fire.
There was an uneasy silence in the room as Gibbs let that knowledge sink in. After a moment it was broken by the sudden ring of his cell phone. He flipped it open, not moving his gaze from Ziggy's. "Yeah?" There was a pause as he listened to the other end then he nodded. "We'll be right there." he said, snapping the phone closed again. "The Kane’s are here."
The tension in Ziggy's shoulders melted away and was replaced by a wide, beautiful smile. He immediately turned and left the room for the elevators. Gibbs shook his head and moved to follow him, stopping to press an appreciative kiss to Abby's cheek. "Gibbs." Abby called, making him turn back to look at her. "Is Ziggy going to be okay? I mean, you said he worked with Tennet so maybe whoever took her is going to come after him."
"He'll be fine. We'll take care of him. And whatever gets through us, Kane can handle." He told her, completely sure of his words.
He walked out, just barely managing to make it into the elevator before the doors closed. "Do I need to ask about Project Ranger?" he asked, looking at his godson out of the corner of his eye. Ziggy glanced at him then reached forward and hit the power switch, stopping the elevator.
Gibbs arched an eyebrow and turned towards him fully. This must be very important for Ziggy to be the one to stop it. He knew just how important Dillon was to the boy. Ziggy took a deep breath and looked at him with those same confident, defiant eyes. "I can't tell you what it is. I can't tell you what I do. And I can't tell you what it's for. But understand this Jethro. I love my job. I cannot see myself doing anything else. This is what I was meant to do." With that said, Ziggy turned back around and flipped the switch back on. "Once a Ranger." he said confidently. "Always a Ranger."
Gibbs took a good look at his godson and decided that yes, the change was a good one. Ziggy was more confident, more sure of himself and his abilities. Oh, he could still see hints of the young boy that had grown up with him in his wide eyes and bright smile; could still see the sometimes too-curious, too-trusting teenager in the rambling way he talked and subconsciously leaned towards someone else as if for protection. But now he could also see the good, capable young man Ziggy had become. A small smile crossed his lips as the elevator doors started to open for them. He was proud of the person Ziggy was becoming.
But a part of him couldn't help but wonder if Project Ranger had not had a hand in the change.
They calmly exited the elevator and walked towards the bullpen, Ziggy's excitement only noticeable in his suddenly brisk pace. As they came closer they could hear Tony's voice asking with false casualness, "You know you are a suspect in a federal investigation, right?"
"Of course." A female voice said and Ziggy had to smile when he heard the cocky, smart-ass tone Tenaya was using. "I'm not an idiot."
They entered the bullpen, Ziggy stopping when he saw his two friends. Tenaya was stolen Tony's chair and was sitting behind his desk, Dillon standing just behind her. Tony looked annoyed at the theft of his seat while Ziva and McGee looked amused and curious. The conversation trailed off when Tenaya realized her brother's attention had been diverted. Following his gaze she smiled and waved slightly in greeting at her brother's boyfriend. "Hey Zig."
The room turned to look at the two but Ziggy was still staring at Dillon. The older man nodded slightly, the hints of a smile on his face. "Hey, Zig." he greeted warmly.
A wide smile flew across Ziggy's face and he raced forward, a gleeful laugh tumbling past his lips. "Dillon!" he shouted happily as he wrapped his arms around the older man's neck. Dillon's own arms wrapped around his waist and he was easily lifted up off the ground and spun around in a brief circle that made him laugh again. Once his feet were back on the ground, Dillon leaned down and caught his lips in a lazy but passionate kiss, his hands burying in Ziggy's messy hair as their tongues meshed together. A silent message passed through the intimate kiss that no one else was privy to.
"I'm glad you're okay."
Unnoticed by the two men, nearly the entire room was staring at them openly. Slowly, Tony turned his head away from the very strange and unusual scene- especially here at NCIS- to stare around at the others. Ziva was just staring at the two kissing men with raised eyebrows, which was better than his previous outright gaping. She looked slightly dazed but still very appreciative of the display. He turned to look at McGee. The computer geek didn't seem to know what to do or think and was glancing around at everyone for guidance. And finally he looked at Gibbs. The boss didn't actually seem that surprised and was staring at the two with a small smile. After a moment of thought Tony decided the only reason the two weren't both getting slapped for the kiss- hell, make-out session by now- was because one of them was his godson.
Slowly, almost reluctantly, the two men pulled apart. Dillon rested his forehead against Ziggy's, his hands dropping back down to the boy's waist and pulling him even closer. "Don't run away like that Zig." Dillon whispered, ignoring the rest of the room. Ziggy's eyes were closed and he just nodded, his voice breathless and dazed when he replied. "'m sorry."
Gibbs cleared his throat, breaking the two from their trance. They both looked over at him; Ziggy twisting around in Dillon's hold while the older man immediately straightened when he saw just who it was that had interrupted them. Gibbs stared intensely at the man who held his godson's heart. "Kane." He said, not really a greeting. He had long ago accepted that the two loved each other fiercely and there was nothing he could say or do to tear them apart but that didn't mean he wasn't going to remind the oldest Kane that he could make his life a living hell if anything happened to Ziggy every time he saw him. And he sure as hell wasn't going to tell either man that he was growing fond of having Dillon around when Ziggy visited on the holidays.
Dillon nodded. "Sir." he said respectively, making Tenaya roll her eyes and shake her head. Gibbs and Dillon stared at each other for a minute then Gibbs smirked and turned away. However, before anyone could say anything, the Director called down to them from where she was standing on the top floor just outside of MTAC. "As sorry as I am to break up this very cute reunion, there's a call waiting in MTAC."
Gibbs rolled his eyes in annoyance and moved towards the stairs, intending to get it over with as fast as possible so he could continue with the case. "It's not for you Jethro." Jenny interrupted, making them all pause again. She turned her gaze towards Dillon, Tenaya, and Ziggy. "It's for you."
The three traded looks, Ziggy blanching slightly. "It's not... Colonel Gale is it?" He called up to Jenny. She nodded, making him groan and slump against Dillon. "Did I do anything bad?" he asked, looking up at Dillon with wide eyes.
"Well, you did run away." Dillon told him, making Ziggy groan again and turn around to bury his face in Dillon's shoulder. "Hide me." He pleaded. Dillon chuckled softly and traded an amused look with Tenaya.
"Think on the bright side Zig." Tenaya suggested, getting out of Tony's chair; the former homicide detective immediately reclaimed it. "It could be Colonel Truman."
Ziggy let out a long suffering groan, dropping his head back onto Dillon's shoulder even as the man pushed him forward towards the stairs. "Wouldn't that just make my day?" he whined
Gibbs watched them go with a frown. Finally he turned his head to look at Jenny who was still waiting at the top for small group. She met his gaze and shrugged slightly. To his surprise she didn't follow the three into MTAC but waited until the door had closed before walking down the stairs to join them in the bullpen. "Director?" he asked, silently reminding her of the lines the team had that she didn't cross. She looked back at him calmly.
"I've been kicked out of MTAC for a reason Jethro. I would like to know just what that reason is." She told him. "This woman is obviously important. I'm not here to intrude on your investigation. I'm simply curious."
The two stared at each other for a minute. "Something feel off Jen?" Gibbs asked. She frowned slightly. "Maybe. I'm not sure yet." She looked back at him. "Did you know that one young man Jethro?"
"That's his godson." Tony told her quickly, sinking into his chair with a soft sigh. Jenny frowned briefly before her eyes widened and her gaze shot back up to the door to MTAC. "That was Ziggy? Jethro he doesn't look anything like the boy in the picture you showed me."
Gibbs rolled his eyes in part-amusement, part-exasperation as he told her, "That was nine years ago Jen. And it was the one time he ever managed to do something with his hair." He didn't wait for her to say something else before he turned to his team. "Anyone got anything new?"
"I do boss." McGee said. "It's about Project Ranger." He stood up when Gibbs motioned for him to continue. He picked up the remote for the plasma and pushed a button. Immediately the blank screen filled with the image of a wheel decorated with the letters RPM. Beneath it was the tag-line Gibbs had heard Ziggy mutter: 'Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger.' McGee turned towards the group. "I still haven't been able to figure out exactly what it is but apparently the Project has been running for about four years. The first year it didn't seem to be going anywhere. Just as the government was going to shut it down, Tennet came in. From the looks of things it's almost as if she started to run the Project by herself. From the reports I could access, the Project started to succeed in leaps and bounds. Without Tennet, the Project probably never would have gotten off the ground. About a month after she joined, she brought in seven more people."
He clicked the button and a group of seven pictures appeared. All depicted a different person. "Captain Scott Truman, Air Force. He's father's a Colonel in the Army and his brother is a Major. Flynn McAllistair, a jack-of-all-trades. He's father is a mechanic. Summer Landsdown is training as a medic and is the heir to the Landsdown fortune. Dillon Kane and his sister live by themselves and have since their parents died nine years ago. Ziggy Grover is, ah... collage gradate, orphaned at 10 when his parents died in a car crash and he went to live with his godfather. Gem and Gemma Hu, I... uh, have nothing on them boss. It's like they just appeared overnight." He told them.
"From what I can gather, whatever the Project is about, these seven are in the center of it boss."
Gibbs didn't say anything, just stared at the picture of Ziggy, his eyes occasionally flickering towards the door to MTAC. After a minute, Jenny decided that it would be better to pull him out of his thoughts, where ever they may be, and asked McGee tentatively, "Did you find anything connecting these people to each other or Doctor Tennet besides Project Ranger?"
McGee shook his head. "Not a thing. Before joining the Project none of them had ever met. And what's strange is that despite how classified the Project is and the fact that it's run by a Colonel, the only person with any actual military training is Captain Truman."
"So the question becomes," Ziva stated from where she was leaning against the front of her desk. "What makes these people, civilians with barely any military training, more suited for the Project then any of the well-trained and highly-experienced soldiers available?"
"They have heart." Gibbs said, "And for a Project like this, you need some one who believes in what they're doing." He turned to look at his team and Director. "I asked Ziggy about the Project on the way up from Abby's lab. He told me only one thing. He could never see himself doing anything else."
Ziggy's voice drifted down to them suddenly, soft and warm, "Once a Ranger, always a Ranger."
They all turned to see Ziggy sitting on stairs, Dillon and Tenaya on either side of him. There was a gentle smile on Ziggy's face and as he stood up, his eyes looked relieved. "Is there a room where we can talk? That isn't the elevator, because that's not big enough."
Tenaya turned her head slowly to look at him. "Huh?" she asked.
"He uses elevators when he needs to talk to a person privately. Shuts them down between floors." Ziggy told her. He looked down at Jethro and grinned. "The technicians here hate him."
Tenaya thought about it for a minute then said, "That is brilliant. Why have we never thought of doing that?"
Ziggy shook his head and ignored her. "SecNav and Colonel Gale have agreed that without an in-depth knowledge of Project Ranger and the people working on it, you cannot reasonably find suspects and track down any leads. We have been given permission to debrief anyone that Supervisory Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs trusts beyond reason and is essential to solving the case and finding Doctor Tennet on the Project. We will need a room." He told them all in a clear voice but the expression on his face said that the needed formalities really annoyed him.
Roughly five minutes later the three members of Project Ranger, Gibbs' team, Abby, Ducky, and Director Sheppard were gathered in the newly empty MTAC. "You all understand that whatever we tell you here, you can't repeat?" Tenaya asked. They all nodded.
Abby slowly raised her hand. "Um, I have a question." She said slowly. "You all seem very eager to tell us about the Project. Shouldn't the people in charge be a bit more, oh I don't know, hush hush about it?"
"From the ever beginning, Project Ranger was supposed to go public once it hit a certain point in its progress." Dillon answered. "We're only about a few months work away from that point. Since Ziggy here trusts you all can stay silent for that period, we have no problem telling you."
Abby nodded, obviously thinking about it. "Oh. That makes sense."
"Ziggy." Gibbs said, staring hard at his godson. "What is Project Ranger?"
The young man gulped slightly and looked down at his hands. Sensing his anxiety, Dillon reached forward and laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Ziggy gave him a grateful smile and turned to stare at the room at large. "Project Ranger is meant to consist of a team of seven people, called Operators, who are to deal with home land security and defense, the retrieval of hostages in foreign countries, and occasional black-ops missions that only the team can complete due to our access to certain technologies, weapons, and abilities. The Operators are to be assisted at all times by a military head and a small team of scientists." He told them calmly.
"So, Project Ranger is meant to be nothing more than another part of your military?" Ziva questioned, looking confused. Ziggy thought about it for a minute than nodded. "That's one way of putting it. I guess you could also look at it like a weapons program."
Gibbs was still staring at Ziggy intensely, hearing what he wasn't saying. "What do you call it?"
Ziggy took a deep breath as if knowing that his answer would not go over well and slowly met his godfather's eyes. "We are not going to be part of the military and creating weapons is only part of it. We are making... super-soldiers."
There was a moment of silence as everyone attempted to digest that piece of knowledge. Gibbs leaned back in his seat, taking a deep breath. This was not what he had expected. Ziggy had never told him much about what he did at work and he was still getting used to the fact that he was part of a top-secret project. But this...? This was not what he had expected at all. He wasn't sure if he could handle this.
Finally Tony broke the silence at ask, "Super-soldier? You’re kidding right?"
This time it was Tenaya who answered. "About a month before Kat joined the Project she wrote a paper on a net of energy present in our upper-atmosphere. It is created due to a mix of the earth's rotation, geomagnetism, the moon's gravity, and solar flares. She theorized that if the Grid could be harnessed we could greatly improve energy usage, weapons efficiency, medicine, anything and everything. Project Ranger is supposed to harness that energy and use it to improve living people. We designed it so that the energy travels through the body by the use of a device called a 'morpher', which is activated by the push of a button or lever and the saying of a key phrase and secured through voice recognition and DNA sequencing. The energy then surrounds the body and encases it in a suit of sorts. The suit allows the user to become faster and stronger than the average person.
"Also, we have discovered an unexpected, though not unfortunate, side affect of the energy. Once used for the first time the energy, the Power, lingers in the body even when not being used. It makes the user more energetic and gives them a faster healing rate. Although we are loath to use the term, Ziggy is right in saying we are creating super-soldiers."
For a long time no one said anything. It was Ziva who spoke first this time. "If Hamas or al-Qa'ida gets their hands on the technology you have created it would not end well."
All three nodded as one. "We know." Dillon said. "That's why we need to find her as soon as possible. The Doc's strong but I don't think she's ever been interrogated before."
"It would have to be an inside job." Jenny observed. "Any one you don't trust?"
"No." Ziggy and Dillon said at the same time Tenaya said "Yes." The three paused and shared looks, communicating with their eyes. "A young scientist." Tenaya said, not looking away from her brother and his boyfriend. "He joined the Project as an assistant four months ago. He seems perfectly harmless but I know no one else there would do this."
"What's his name?"
A look of intense anger swept over Ziggy's face as he gritted out, "Turner Sierra."
---
Ziggy stared at the young man sitting in the interrogation room, trying to understand what he was thinking. Turner had acted like a little puppy during his time with the Project. He had started to get very annoying but everyone had thought him harmless. Even Kat. And maybe that's why they were in this position. "Jethro." he called to his godfather, who was standing near the door watching him. "If he doesn't say anything in fifteen minutes, we do things our way."
Gibbs stared at his godson for a long minute, taking in the angry hunch of his shoulders and his clenched hands. His reflection looked pissed. The door opened suddenly, permitting Tony, Ziva, McGee, Tenaya, and Dillon. It made it a bit crowded as the room wasn't meant to hold this many people and he didn't doubt that the Director, along with Abby and Ducky, were watching what was happening up in MTAC. He pushed himself off the wall and headed for the door, glancing over at Ziggy again.
Dillon was standing next to him, an arm wrapped loosely around his shoulders in comfort. As Gibbs stared at the two he realized that Ziggy hadn't been making a suggestion. They'd go in with or without his permission.
---
The young scientist jumped when Gibbs slammed the door open, looking up at him with wide eyes. In the next room Tony snickered to himself. "He is not going to last." He observed cheerfully.
"What's going on?" Turner asked. "I was going home and I suddenly got pulled over and brought here. I've been waiting in here for ever."
Gibbs ignored him, slamming a picture of Tennet onto the table. "Where is she, Sierra?" he demanded. Turner was staring at the picture in confusion. Finally he looked back at him. "I don't know!"
"We have your finger-prints on her laptop, the owner of a grocery shop saying he saw you 'helping' Tennet into your car because she was passed out, and we have recordings of you talking to well-known terrorists." Gibbs snapped, the lies flowing easily off his tongue. "You’re going away for terrorism. You want help, tell me where she is! And she better be alive for your sake!"
Turner shook his head rapidly. "I'm telling you I don't know anything about this!"
Gibbs straightened and pointed angrily to the glass behind him. "I also have three very pissed off members of Project Ranger in the next room. One of which happens to be Tennet's girlfriend! And all three can't wait to get their hands on you."
The minute the words left his mouth, Turner paled drastically. "Kane?" He squeaked, his eyes wide in horror. "Tenaya Kane is here?"
Gibbs turned to stare at the glass and motioned with his head for the young woman to come in. Almost immediately the door opened and Tenaya walked in. She didn't shut the door again, allowing Dillon and Ziggy to rest against the frame and watch the three inside. "Where's K?" Tenaya demanded, her voice sharp and hard. Despite that she was doing a remarkable job of holding in her anger.
"I don't know!!!"
Ziggy snorted in amusement and whispered out. "You know Turner. There is a reason you don't piss of the woman who was an evil robot trying to take over the world in a past life." he said cheerfully. Tenaya seemed to get some sort of permission from that because she walked forward and easily wrapped her hand around Turner's neck and slammed him against the wall. Although her movements were rough, Gibbs could tell her hold on him was gentle and wouldn't even bruise. Yet.
"How much?" Dillon asked. "Did they pay you to give them the Doc?"
Turner shook his head as much as he could in Tenaya's grip. "Wasn't supposed to be like this. I was supposed to get the files off her computer and hand it to them. Katherine was never supposed to get involved."
Tenaya's grip tightened greatly and, much too every one's surprise, she shifted and easily lifted him off the ground. Behind the glass, Tony whistled in appreciation. "If that is what they can do without the Power from the Grid." Ziva said, shaking her head in amazement. "I fear what they will be able to do with it."
"Why not just give them the laptop?" Tenaya demanded, her voice filled with rage. "It had all her files on the Rangers!"
"I was..." Turner tried to choke out, his hands trying to pull her hand away weakly. "trying to get... the virus. Heard you talking about it. Thou-thought if I could find it I could...could sell it. She wasn't- going to us- use it anyway."
Tenaya frowned and glanced over her shoulder at the two men in the doorway. Ziggy's eyes widened in horror and realization and he took a step back in surprise. "They're not after Project Ranger." he breathed, closing his eyes tightly.
"They're after Project Venjix."