The Cascade Effect Chapter Twenty-Four/???
The Cascade Effect
Rating: R(Will Go Up to NC-17)
Summary: One Event, One Minor change in the way something happens can change a lot of events in the future.
Disclaimer: I don’t own so no sense suing.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Unfortunately the next day they got a case and ended up on stake outs and Tony was paired with McGee of all people. He’d rather have been paired with Gibbs or even Kate but he instead got stuck with McGee. Probably because Gibbs didn’t want to be stuck with him and Ziva or stick McGee with Ziva. She’d probably kill him. Someone had stolen a Navy Radar and stashed it in a storage locker. The tip on where the stolen radar was had been anonymous. Of course that stakeout resulted in a prank war between Tony, Kate and Ziva with Kate often siding with Tony. It was that same case that Ducky asked Abby to run some tests on a John Doe. After giving Ducky the results and then talking with Palmer she went to Gibbs thinking that Ducky was the one who was sick. After they had figured out that it was the creator who had stolen his own radar system because it didn’t work Gibbs went and talked with Ducky. Ducky denied that the blood was his and told Gibbs that it was confidential. Gibbs realized there were only a few people that Ducky would stick his neck out for and the director, as much of a bitch as she was, was one of them. Ducky’s look said it all. Jenny Shepard was sick. That night Gibbs stopped by Tony’s apartment after having sent them all home before going down to speak with Ducky.
Tony opened the door and was shocked to see his boss standing there.
“Boss? What are you doing here?” Tony asked, letting the man in and grabbing two beers from his fridge before sitting down on the couch next to Gibbs.
“Abby came to me earlier. Ducky had her run some blood that was from a John Doe. There’s no John Doe in the morgue.” He said before taking a pull from the bottle of beer Tony had handed him.
“Shit. Don’t tell me Ducky’s sick?” Tony exclaimed, worrying about Ducky.
“No, not Ducky. Jenny.” Gibbs looked askance at Tony, whose face showed shock.
“That why she’s out of the country?” Tony asked.
“Probably. Know that you an her don’t see eye to eye sometimes but thought you’d want to know. Needed to tell someone, too.” Gibbs took another pull from the beer as he let everything sink in.
“We need to keep a good eye on her Gibbs. She’s already starting to go over the deep end.” He told him, knowing Gibbs would agree with him.
“It would explain her obsession about the frog.” Gibbs agreed with Tony’s assessment of keeping an eye on their director.
They sat in silence, drinking their beers and absently watching the movie on Tony’ TV.
“Want another Gibbs?” Tony asked, getting up to get another beer. Gibbs nodded in response, he could use another drink.
“Could do with something stronger.”
“Got some scotch. It’s not bourbon but…” Tony trailed off uncertainly.
“It’ll do.”
Tony nodded grabbed two beers and two glasses before grabbing the bottle of Scotch. It was more expensive so he knew it would go down smooth. He handed gibbs the bottle of beer and the glass, setting his own bottle and glass down before opening the scotch and pouring some for them both. They both ended up drinking way more than they should have since they were on call but they didn’t care much. Jenny may be a bitch but she was also rather lenient with them and the team, even when she was butting into their cases. Gibbs ended up crashing on Tony’s couch and Tony headed to bed, but first he called Kelly so she wouldn’t worry. The next morning they managed to negotiate getting ready for work without bloodshed, even if they had done so before at Gibbs’ house, and headed into work, both suffering from slight hangovers that they managed to hide from their co-workers. Hopefully Jenny Shepard would not go downhill to quickly otherwise they would have to force her to go to a hospital and they both knew how stubborn that woman could be.
Their next case came when they got a tip that someone was smuggling drugs from Panama to Pax River Naval Base. After they had done some digging and surveillance they went after a drug sniffing dog handler out of Pax River. They were serving the warrant after lunch and they found the man dead. Meanwhile McGee was attacked by the man’s dog. They thought the dog had attacked his owner after getting a taste of cocaine. Abby renamed the dog Jethro because Butch was just too Butch. During te course of their investigation their new prime suspect was killed. Abby had taken Jethro out of the lab before the person from Pax River showed up to take him and put him to sleep. Jethro then led Abby to a buried body that turned out to be another canine’s skeleton. It was after that that their new suspect ended up dead. Then Jethro began coughing up blood and Abby took him to Autopsy where, after and X-Ray, Ducky and Jimmy did surgery to remove what turned out to be a piece of a knife. Jethro had accidentally swallowed it when he was licking his owner’s wounds. He also tried dragging his owner to get help by his arm which explained the blood all over Jethro and the saliva on the Petty Officer as well as the flesh in Jethro’s teeth. Abby was right, Jethro was innocent.
After that they learned that the knife that killed Petty Officer hanson was a knife issued at Pax Military Base. They tracked down who had requisitioned a new combat boot knife and learned that another handler, Erica Perrelli, had requisitioned one. After doing a small test where another handler’s dog reacted to some cocaine that McGee had signed out of evidence and Perrelli’s didn’t they had their drug smuggler’s accomplice. Perrelli had killed her trained dog and substituted him for an attack dog because she had needed the dog to not react to drugs. After that case was solved Abby talked to the Base Commander who agreed Abby could keep the dog but then Abby’s landlord said no. Abby first talked to Tony who couldn’t take him either and Kate was out because she had Toni already. Abby then managed to talk McGee into taking Jethro.
Tony was glad the case was finally done. It meant that he could go home and relax, even if he’d rather spend his free time at Gibbs’ house with him. The night they’d gotten drunk after finding out that Jenny could possibly be sick had been over a week ago and Tony had almost told the man about his feelings but something had stopped him. He had a very bad feeling things were about to be shaken up once again at work and adding anything else to worry about was not a good idea. He’d even told Gibbs he had a bad feeling that something big ws gonna happen soon and found out Gibbs’ gut was screaming the same thing. Tony had tried to make a joke about it being all the coffee that Gibbs consumed but it had fallen flat. He just wanted whatever to happen soon so that dark cloud could quit hovering over him.
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A body had been fished out of the water and the FBI contacted because of who the person was. Rene Benoit had reappeared, only he was dead. It had taken the local PD so long to find a DNA match because of the fact that Rene was a drug dealer and they didn’t have the kind of access that Federal Agencies did. Jeanne was contacted once the identity had been established and she immediately made plans to fly in from where she was at. It had been a bitch to make the notifications and they had had to go through many channels to do it but she was notified. Unbeknownst to the FBI that phone call had given Jeanne Benoit the perfect plot to get her revenge on one Tony DiNozzo. Things were really starting to look better for her. Little did she know, the FBI was already looking at a certain female as their suspect and she would actually be helping them instead. She had been questioned and she had spun a tale that had several FBI Agents in her clutches, though one of them was skeptical because he’d not heard about the information she was telling them.
It had been a few weeks since McGee was attacked by a dog high on cocaine and things had been pretty calm. Tony came into work and found McGee backing up three years’ worth of case files and decided to play a prank on him. After the prank Gibbs walked in wondering if the phones were down and Ziva was the one to check and find that yes, they were. Suddenly McGee’s computers began to Flicker along with Ziva,, Kate, Tony and Gibbs’. Fornell walked in just then, telling them that it was a lock down. Gibbs was the first to be interviewed and found out that La Grenouille’s body had been found in the water months ago and was on ice. He managed to get Fornell to tell him that they were going after Jenny Shepard as they had reason to believe she had killed the arms dealer. It wasn’t much of a shock to Gibbs that they would think that. He remembered how she had denied the frog protection.
Once the interview was over he sat there thinking for a bit before heading back to the evidence lock up where everyone was being held temporarily. He ran into Leon Vance, who paid him back for a cheese Danish nine years after he’d told him he had to. Gibbs didn’t know yet but Vance had already been to see Director Shepard. He was the Assistant Director in San Francisco and SecNav had flown him out there because of the current investigations. Jenny Shepard was suspended on orders from the SecNav.
Kate was the next to be interviewed followed by McGee, then Ziva and finally Ducky before they were released and told not to investigate the murder of Rene Benoit. That left Abby and Tony. For some reason Fornell was of the belief that Tony had been on an undercover assignment that dealt with La Grenouille’s daughter. McGee tried to explain that he didn’t know anything about any undercover operation except for the one in Quebec. Abby was called first and Tony told her to do what she did best.
“Gibbs gave you a mission. Everyone's counting on you. Just do what you do best.” He said when she looked at him, fear and worry in her eyes and on her face.
“Dance?!” she queried, confused.
“Talk.” He said, giving her a look that told her everything. She gave a very imperceptible nod that said she understood.
Abby did what she did best and talked in the way she was fond of. Meanwhile Gibbs had Ducky get the Autopsy reports from the ME and McGee use his computer, which was older than anything McGee was used to, and hack into the FBI using the stolen FBI ID that he’d discreetly swiped from their guard when they were in the evidence garage. Once McGee had done that they learned that the FBI had a witness o the murder and only an address was provided. Gibbs had Ziva slash the FBI tires and then went to find this so called witness. That’s when he learned it was Jeanne Benoit. He didn’t know what her game was but he planned to try and find out.
Meanwhile Abby had told Fornell and Vance that Shepard had asked her to run some prints from a whiskey bottle and they had come up as being the director’s father’s, Jasper Shepard. Abby was released and Tony was brought in for questioning. Fornell bought him a bag of chips before bringing him into the interrogation room.
“Well, we’ve been here before haven’t we Toby? You were saying some pretty bad stuff about me back then. Ah, I hope you’ve learned a few things since then. I know I have.” Tony said as they walked into the Interrogation Room and took their seats.
“Yep. You’ve done some growing DiNotzo. The director thought enough of you to personally select you for an extended undercover assignment.” Fornell commented before beginning his questioning.
“Yeah, she did. I declined it though. I wasn’t gonna screw up the best thing that’s happened to me in years all for an undercover assignment where she was playing matchmaker.” Tony told him.
“So how did you know the girl?” Fornell hadn’t known Tony wasn’t actually on the assignment. Someone had lied to him.
“Well her father was an international arms dealer; a threat to the country, the world, really. But I don’t really know her, I knew of her, she was stalking me practically though at first I didn’t realize that’s who she was.” Tony explained, he’d never gotten around to filing a complaint because things had happened so fast and suddenly Benoit was gone.
“Ah. Earlier that morning, the day her father died, someone tried to kill her. You barely saved her from a drug dealer and then someone blew up your vehicle in an attempt to get to her.” Fornell was trying to understand what was going on.
“Not so sure they were actually after her. She ambushed me with her father. Dragged me into the limo and I almost escaped but Benoit threatened me and my family.” Tony explained. He honestly didn’t know why his car had gotten blown up.
“The next morning your partner was unable to reach you. So where were you that night?”
“I went for a drive to clear my head and lose any possible tails before going to see my family.” Tony said succinctly, keeping up the ruse that they had told Jenny and later Jeanne.
“You killed La Grenouille!” Fornell exclaimed, accusing Tony.
“I did what?!” Tony was shocked, who the hell would accuse him of killing La Grenouille. Fornell left him alone then.
Meanwhile Gibbs had learned what he could from Jeanne, listened to her bullshit and lies and found out that she supposedly witnessed Tony shooting her father. He headed back to his house and met Kate, McGee, Ducky and Ziva in his basement and told them that Jeanne was saying Tony had been undercover and was dating her. He also told them that she said she witnessed Tony shooting her father.
“Jeanne Benoit saw Tony shoot her father!” Ducky exclaimed in shock.
“He had motive.” Kate commented.
“And means.” McGee added.
“And no alibi.” Ziva said.
Gibbs knew Tony did have an alibi, but that the alibi could and would cause problems. Tony had been with him that night. He had actually gone home but had returned to the office with no-one any wiser that he’d left. Tony had been shaken about the fact that someone was trying to kill him and about Jeanne ambushing him and he hadn’t wanted to go to his apartment in case she showed up but it wasn’t like he could come out and say that because the rest of the team didn’t know that him and Tony were that friendly. Gibbs wished it could be more but knew it wouldn’t happen since Tony was straight.
Jenny Shepard walked into her office with Fornell following. Assistant Director Leon Vance stood behind her desk.
“Don’t get too comfortable. You already scratched my settee.” She said. AT his confused looking around she continued, “Your agents have been tearing apart my house all afternoon and they wouldn’t even tell me what they were looking for.”
“La Grenouille was killed with a 9mm Glock.” Fornell informed her.
“You have a second weapon. A 9mm Glock, registered for personal use. Yet we can’t find it.” Vance said.
“You could’ve asked me.” She told them.
“Where’s the gun?” Vance asked.
“I gave it to La Grenouille.”
“Anybody witness that?” Fornell queried.
“Gibbs.”
“Works for me. Grenouille took the gun. DiNotzo took it from him.” Fornell commented.
“DiNozzo?” she questioned, confused.
“He’s in custody. An eyewitness at the marina saw Agent DiNozzo commit the murder.” Vance told her.
“You have a positive ID at night, in the dark, from a distance?” Jenny asked disbelieving.
“I think she’d recognize her boyfriend.” Fornell said.
Jeanne Benoit is your witness?! You turned my entire department upside down based on her testimony!!! I wanna talk to her!” she was furious, that lying little bitch would pay.
“Absolutely not.” Fornell told her.
“Okay. Okay.” Vance would allow Shepard to talk with the witness, he knew something was going on and he wanted to know what.
Vance, Fornell and Shepard walked to the interrogation room where Fornell had asked his agent to bring their witness, Jeanne Benoit. Jenny walked into the interrogation room while Vance and Fornell walked into the observation room.
“My name is Jenny Shepard. I’m the director of NCIS.” Jenny began after taking her seat.
“Ah give her a little rope.” Vance commented to the nervous Fornell while watching the proceedings.
“Why would you accuse an innocent man of murdering your father? Why would you lie to a federal agency about your involvement with someone?” Jenny questioned. Jeanne’s head shot up so fast she continued. “Yeah, I know you lied because I am the one that wanted to send Tony DiNozzo undercover and he refused. I also know for a fact that you were stalking DiNozzo! You, Jeanne Benoit are a liar, a fraud and a very dangerous woman. I know you’re lying about what happened. So quit lying and tell me what really happened Jeanne?” Jenny asked.
“I did it. I killed him.” Jeanne sid, slightly shocked that this woman knew more than what she had realized.
“It feels like that doesn’t it. You’re blaming yourself like you blamed Tony. What I want to know is why you were stalking a man that repeatedly asked you to leave him alone?” Jenny continued, curious as to this woman’s motives. She was flipping through nice and caring and angry and pissed pretty quickly and it showed in her line of questioning.
“…………..” Jeanne stayed silent, lowering her head once again.
“Answer Me!” Jenny snapped, slamming her hand down on the table. Gibbs had taught her well and she was extremely pissed that this woman had caused her agency to be turned on its axis because of lies.
“He was supposed to fall in love with me! My father said it would be easy to make him love me! That he was a player! It was supposed to be easy! He was supposed to be our way in! He was supposed to be our informant against you and your government! Father knew you didn’t believe the reports about your father’s death! He knew you knew! You were supposed to rot in prison with help from Tony! But that idiot turned me down!!!!! Said he had a family! We were going to turn your government upside down!!!!!!You stupid BITCH! We were going to frame you for murder and live happily somewhere! I was supposed to take over the family business with Tony by my side!!!!! Jeanne screamed, pissed that all her plans had been ruined by one woman. She’d been shocked at the hand slamming down and now her anger was pouring out of her.
“And what did I know?” Jenny asked, calming her voice slightly.
“That your father didn’t commit suicide! You knew he was murdered!” Jeanne exclaimed before lunging at the director, only to be knocked down by the woman.
Several Agents stormed into the room then, including Fornell and Vance.
“Arrest her!” Vance exclaimed as he moved to help Jenny up.
“Take her to the car. I’ve had enough of her lies.” Fornell said, angry that he’d believed the daughter of an international arms dealer with a grudge.
That’s when things really began to unravel. Gibbs showed up with Trent Kort in tow and he explained that the case was over. They had Jeanne on several federal offenses and they were not to investgate La Grenouille’s death any further. The damage had already been done though. Jeanne had admitted that Jasper Shepard was murdered and since La Grenouille was a sanctioned killing unofficially it stood to reason that he’d either killed Shepard or that their own government and more specifically, Trent Kort, had. They would re-open the case but it would probably remain a cold case unless new evidence popped up. Tony saw Kort walking out of the building and punched the man for the hell he’d recently been through. He felt the undercover CIA operative deserved it and he had Kate and Ziva backing him up when Kort decided he was gonna try to fight back. Kort backed off.
Tony, Kate and Ziva watched as Jeanne Benoit was escorted from NCIS in handcuffs. Tony was relieved, he knew that the adrenaline would wear off shortly. When it did he’d crash. Gibbs knew as well and decided to drive Tony home instead of risking the man that he loved, even if Tony didn’t know it, crashing literally and most likely into a pole or a tree. Once he’d gotten Tony to his house and settled they had a few drinks to unwind, Kelly was with Maddie again which didn’t bother either man. He then helped Tony upstairs and to the guest bedroom where he could sleep. He was glad he’d been able to stop the investigation in its tracks without resorting to telling anyone of Tony’s alibi which would have caused a great amount of speculation that neither of them needed or would have wanted. Maybe now things would go back to normal with Jeanne going to prison and forever out of their lives.
TBC…
AN: Hope ya’ll liked that dramatic twist. Jeanne looked like crap in the episode which would explain her outburst here. Sleep deprivation, revenge and who knows what else can cause all kinds of things. I made Jenny actually nice(that and she wouldn’t want to lose one of her best agents) which was interesting. I kind of have her fluctuating her moods a lot. Itt’s never clearly explained whether Jenny Shepard killed La Grenouille or if the CIA did. I’m of both mind in a way. I think that Jenny may have gone there and killed him in revenge for her father’s death and I also think that Kort or the CIA could have. For all we know Kort could have asked Shepard to kill the frog on behalf of the CIA. It also does seem as if Jasper Shepard was killed by either Rene Benoit or the CIA and didn’t actually kill himself. So I went with that and had the case re-opened even if it’s never solved at east no-one can hold her father’s “suicide” over her and she’ll die with a clear-ish conscience. As Always any and all reviews, comments and constructive criticism are welcomed. Flames are not and will be fed to my dragon rather promptly and flamers sent to Bon Temps to be fed to whatever lurks in the night there ;)
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Chapter Twenty-Five>>