Here we go! Dedication goes to KatieGuinn (again) for winning and guessing the POVs: Jane Foster in New Mexico, Bruce Banner in Calcutta! Good going!

And enjoy Chapter Five!

 ***

NCIS Navy Yard

Washington D.C., Capitol of the United States of America

"What’ve we got?" Gibbs demanded, walking back into the bullpen.

McGee instantly snapped from his trance of looking at his computer. "I’ve been pulling everything we’ve had on Mark Sears," he replied.

"And?" Gibbs asked expectantly.

"His record is spotless," McGee replied, pulling up Mark’s ID on the screen. "Just like his wife, he was involved in the military. An army lieutenant, honorably discharged only two years ago."

"Sounds like he wasn’t home that much," Gibbs remarked.

"Which was why whenever her husband wasn’t home and she was, Lieutenant Sears was always over at Commander Jenkins’s house," McGee told him. "But here’s the kicker."

He pressed a button, and three schedules pulled up. "These are Mr. Sears’s, Lieutenant Sears’s, and Commander Jenkins’s deployment schedules," he explained. "Notice anything?"

Gibbs examined each schedule carefully, and he seethed. Even Ziva, who had been paying attention to her phone call, looked up and was shocked. "Even when both Mr. Sears and Commander Jenkins were on deployment, Lieutenant Sears was always at home," she realized.

"And I’ve pulled the living bills on Commander Jenkins’s house," McGee added. "Each payment said there were two people living there whenever Commander Jenkins was gone."

"And the Commander lives with her brother?" Tony asked.

McGee smiled. "Bingo."

"Get Nat up here," Gibbs ordered, walking back to his desk. "Tony, take her with you."

Tony frowned. "Why not me and Ziva?"

"Because if he sees his two interrogators," Gibbs replied slowly, "he might assume the worst. If you take Natasha, he might think of it as just a few more questions."

Tony nodded and reached over to his phone.

"And Tony?"

Tony looked up as he dialed Natasha’s number. "Yeah, boss?"

"Try and see if you can talk to Natasha about what’s been bugging her."

Tony grinned. "You got it, boss."

As he watched Tony explain to Natasha what was happening, Gibbs leaned back in his chair, thinking. Natasha had reacted oddly to when she had said Mark Sears hadn’t killed his wife and the Lieutenant. She had acted as if she hadn’t even said it at all. What the hell is wrong with her? he wondered.

***

"For a woman that wasn’t home very often," Tony commented, pulling up to Ryan’s house, "she had a pretty sweet house."

Natasha rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Tony," she sighed. "Only you would have thought of that."

"Hey, come on!" he protested. "Don’t deny that you would’ve, too."

Natasha looked out at the house. "I would’ve been impressed," she replied, "had you said it was a ‘pretty sweet mansion’ instead of a ‘pretty sweet house.’"

Tony snorted. "Like had you said ‘I remembered who attacked me’ would’ve been more interesting to me than ‘I didn’t see my attackers face?’"

He didn’t need to see Natasha’s face to know she had stiffened. Instantly, he felt guilty, but he hid it. "Am I right?"

"I don’t remember who it was, Tony," she whispered. "If I did, don’t you think I would’ve told you?"

"Not unless it’s someone you’re scared to death of."

Silence. Tony knew he’d hit a mark. "Did he hurt you in any way?"

"You saw my neck."

"You know the ‘hurt’ I mean."

Natasha shook her head slowly. "No. He didn’t rape me."

"So it’s a he?"

Natasha slammed her hand down on the dashboard, with it her notepad with directions. "Honestly, Tony! Don’t you think you would have gathered that about now?"

"I just wanted to make sure!"

Natasha turned to look at Tony, and he was shocked to see that her eyes were glassy with unshed tears. "Yes, Tony. It was a man who attacked me. I didn’t see his face, but I heard his voice right before he knocked me out. I know for certain it was a man."

"Do you remember what he said?"

She looked away. "No."

"Come on, Nat." He put a hand on her arm, felt her recoil from his touch, and quickly pulled his hand away. "You can tell me."

"Let’s just get this over with." She opened her car door and stepped out of the car. "Ryan might be wondering what the heck we’re doing here."

Tony sighed as Natasha slammed the door shut. "I know he is," he muttered, doing the same.

　***

Ryan had answered the door in about five seconds. When he opened the door, it was obvious he had no idea who Natasha was.

"Can I help you?" he asked hesitantly.

"Ryan."

Ryan’s head swivelled to see Tony at Natasha’s shoulder, and instantly his confused manner turned to a fearful one. "Special Agent DiNozzo, right?" he asked.

"Yes, that’s me," he confirmed. "This is my partner, Special Agent Romanoff." Natasha nodded in acknowledgment. "If it’s all right with you, we just have a few more questions."

"Of course," Ryan assured them, stepping back. "Come on in."

Natasha smiled at him and stepped past the threshold, observing the interior of the entry hall. She had to say, she was quite impressed.

Behind her, Tony whistled his own appreciation. "Quite a house you have here, Mr. Jenkins."

Ryan grinned. "Thanks. All of my savings and Rosie’s went into it."

"Even though she was not home most of the time?" Natasha asked incredulously.

Ryan stopped. "This isn’t a social call, is it?"

Natasha stopped, too, and turned to look at Ryan. "We know about Marie spending long periods of time here."

"Even when your sister wasn’t home," Tony added.

Ryan swallowed, looking back and forth between both agents. "We trusted each other immensely," he explained lowly. "We were extremely close, but I never slept with her."

"Then you’d be willing to do a DNA test?" Natasha asked.

Ryan nodded. "If it will help clear my name, I’d be more than willing."

***

Abby heard a beep on her computer, and as she looked up at it, she saw a red NEGATIVE flash up on the screen. She looked behind her at Tony. "Ryan was telling the truth. He never got physical with Lieutenant Sears at all."

"That rules out an affair," Natasha sighed.

"I’ll go tell Gibbs," Tony growled, stomping off to the elevator.

Abby watched him go, then looked at Natasha. "No one knows?"

Natasha shook her head slowly. "No. Tony tried to get it out of me in the car ride, but I didn’t give him anything to work with."

"I bet he didn’t like that," Abby joked.

Natasha smirked, shaking her head. "No, he didn’t."

"Well, just let me know if you need to take anything to the team. I’ll be there every step of the way, Nat."

Natasha hugged Abby fiercely, who hugged her back just as tightly. "Thanks, Abbs," she whispered, then left.

Abby watched her friend leave, then turned back to her computer and sighed. "My life is grand," she murmured.

***

He watched from above and saw the black-clothed woman leave headquarters. What had her name been . . . Ashley? Aubrey? No, Abby. It had been Abby.

He frowned, folding his arms. Something had been going on in her lab. It had bothered his father so much that he had sent his son down to DC to check it out. I hope it’s worth it.

Then he blinked, looking down closer at the parking lot. A very familiar woman had just left the building. He smiled. Yes, this trip would indeed be worth his while.

***

Fifth chapter! Wow . . . going by fast . . . only about four or five left! So, Abby has Nat's back, and we have yet another unnamed POV. Figure out who it is, you get a dedication!