History Lessons: NCIS Style
- (3) Off With Her Head -
Rating P14
Summary/Spoiler: When a case is turned over by the FBI, Gibbs and the team end up with more then they bargain for and when Director Shepard tries to assist, heads really start to roll.
Author's Note: So I've been kinda in a funk since the finale, but here is your May History Lesson, Keep in mind I am still on my hiatus. As always your history lesson will be at the end..
Discl.: I do not own The Tudors. Catch-22 was written by Joseph Heller.
It was a clear bright day when the call came in. Leroy Jethro Gibbs had no sooner entered NCIS headquarters than he was summoned to the Director's office. He thought it strange since he had seen Director Shepard earlier that morning. His faint smile at the memory faded as he entered the room and found Agent Tobias Fornell waiting on the other side of the desk.
"Director, Tobias," he greeted inclining his head toward the redhead woman. "FBI having issues?"
"Not today Jethro," Tobias responded.
"The FBI is turning a crime scene over to us," Jenny explained. "I want your team on it."
"Case?"
"Complicated," Fornell began. "We have the decomposing body of a female, no ID."
"Abby can use..."
"Let me rephrase that, no way to ID the victim. Her head is missing and her hands were soaked in acid before burial."
"And why is this NCIS related?" Gibbs questioned glancing toward Jenny who glared.
"Jethro the FBI is swamped right now we're doing them a favor," She informed making it very clear she would call it in.
"Turn the evidence over..."
"Already done," Fornell announced. "Thank you for your help Director." He left closing the door behind him, unable to keep the faint smirk off his face. Bout damn time they got back together.
"Since when do we do favors for the FBI?" Gibbs inquired after the door closed.
"Since I ran out of they owe me's" she replied grinning. "Besides it will give Abby something new to do." He said nothing but left calling for his team as he came down the stairs.
The scene was in the woods near a river, clearly marked with yellow FBI tape. The FBI agents watching over the scene quickly packed up and left Tony waving as they did. He and Ziva began to process the scene along with McGee who snapped photos. Gibbs looked over the body with Ducky.
"Well aside from the obvious lack of head, this is a rather pristine, adult female."
"How old Duck?"
"Hard to say for sure, but most likely between thirty and fifty years old. No obvious fracture so without the skull I would say cause of death was decapitation."
"An unusual way, Doctor," Jimmy Palmer added.
"Well certainly not the fastest way my dear boy."
"Time of death?"
"Oh Jethro I couldn't say for sure, based on the decomposition I would guess six to nine months but I'll know more when I get her back."
"Could the acid on her hands have killed her?"
"I won't know for sure till Abby runs it, but I doubt it. It would have been excruciatingly painful, but she could've survived." Ducky and Palmer began to move the body and Gibbs moved on looking around the scene.
"Boss!" Tony shouted.
"What DiNozzo?"
"We've got a problem." Tony pointed to where he'd been shifting through the dirt, an elegant white humors bone was clearly visible peaking out.
"Gibbs!" Ziva called from behind the two men. They turned to face her. "Another."
"Ducky you might want to get a few more body bags." Gibbs and the other began to process, after three hours and a million bug bites they'd uncovered five other skeletons, each missing a skull.
"This is like some horror movie," Tony commented as they reentered the squad room. Gibbs whacked the back of his head.
"We have any idea who these women area?" he demanded.
"Everything has been sent to Abby," Ziva informed.
"And..."
"And I'll go and help her Boss," McGee responded wanting to get out of the Gibbs's path.
"And we'll see about looking for security tapes and go talk to the park departments," Tony answered as he and Ziva left again.
"Director," Ziva greeted as the woman passed them. She glanced back in time to see Gibbs smile at his old partner.
"Gibbs."
"Director?"
"Crime scene take a while?"
"Found more than we signed up for." She arched her eyebrow and he could see the questions in her eyes. "Found five more skeletons, females thirty to fifty, missing skulls, marks at the top of the back bone."
"Any ID?"
"Ducky and Abby are working on it."
"Any ideas?" She pressed, loving how she would explain this one to her SecNav.
"I will keep you informed Director," he said changing his tone. She glared, slightly annoyed with his tone. She was allowed to ask, it was her agency after all! He watched as she turned on her heel heading for her office. He was still slightly irritated with her doing the FBI favors, even if they came in handy. He wasn't quite sure what he'd done to deserve the glare but he figured he'd deal with it later. He decided first priority was to check in with Ducky and bring Abby a Caff-Pow. As he walked into autopsy he noticed Jimmy putting away one victim while Ducky turned to the next.
"Jethro don't lurk," Ducky chided.
"Got anything?"
"Well these women were all roughly the same age, killed over a period of three years. The oldest one had the most damage consistent with her being the first, the killer got consistently cleaner, perhaps a doctor or a surgeon."
"Great," Gibbs muttered.
"There is something else," Ducky hesitated. Gibbs gestured for him to continue. "Some of these women have had children."
"Had?"
"None we're pregnant at the time, at least as far as I can tell, but the scaring and width of the pubic bone suggest that at least two of the five had natural birth. It is possible they were all pregnant at least once, but I can't be sure." Gibbs gritted his teeth. He hated cases like these and he promised himself he would get the bastard responsible and not let his emotions get to him till he was alone.
"Call me when you know more," he said leaving autopsy and heading for the lab.
"Gibbs!" Abby exclaimed as she bounced in front of him. He placed his hands on her shoulders holding her still.
"Got something?"
"Got a Caff-Pow?"
"Not this time, results now!" McGee stepped into view hearing the Boss.
"We worked on returning the hands to their original shape and tried to get prints. We're running them now."
"I found a partial print on the tape end of the rope that Tony found and am running that through all the databases so far nothing. I also extracted DNA from the bones and I'm trying to get a profile, but I'm not sure I'll get anything."
"So nothing?"
"Would I let you down like that?" Abby questioned. "I processed the clothing from the victims and found fibers from an oriental rug, a very expensive rug."
"How expensive?"
"There's only two stores in all of DC that sell them," Gibbs leaned in and kissed her cheek.
"Good work Abbs." Gibbs left quickly stepping into the elevator just as Ziva and Tony stepped off.
"Boss we've got something interesting for you to see," Tony said.
"What?"
"Got video footage sent over, some strange stuff."
"Like?"
"Well Gibbs, I have a new level of disgust for sex in America," Ziva commented fast forward to the video to some teens experimenting with other animals.
"That's disturbing," Tony agreed.
"And not relevant to the case, did you find any one carrying expensive rugs into the woods?"
"Funny you should mention that," Tony took control of the remote fast forwarding to a couple walking into the woods; a giant rug attached the guy's back. "They don't come out this way, and there are no video cameras near the other exit but...seven hours later this car is missing."
"Enough time to kill someone, even for the less experienced," Ziva remarked. Gibbs phone rang and he picked it up.
"Yea Gibbs."
"Boss, I have something you're going to want to see."
"McGee and Abby have something," Gibbs announced hanging up the phone heading for the elevator, Tony and Ziva on his heels. Both almost ran into Gibbs as he stopped in front of the elevator as the doors opened to reveal Jenny. She stepped to the side to let them on, but didn't appear to be getting off. Ziva and Tony held their breaths and slid to the back wall hoping to stay out of the fray. "Someone need you?"
"Abby called me," she answered shortly.
"For what."
"She told me to come see her, how should I know?" The doors thankfully opened again and Abby was waiting for them.
"Good you're here Director, we have a problem."
"A problem?" Gibbs and Jenny echoed together.
"There's one store that sells the rugs we need and the guy who owns has a sealed past."
"Sealed?"
"He's some foreign dude who got asylum here."
"That doesn't mean he has diplomatic immunity Abbs, unseal the records," Gibbs ordered.
"McGee's hacking into the database to do that right now, but we thought you might want the address to the store."
"Tony, Ziva."
"Gone Boss."
"Agent Gibbs," Jenny called to him as he headed for the stairs with his agents.
"Director?"
"Try not to upset anyone, he may not have diplomatic immunity but he has still been granted asylum and should be treated with respect." He turned on his heels and walked up the stairs.
"Anything else you can tell me Abby?"
"Um...well there's this dye that basically stains who ever handles the rugs before the sprayed to leave the store. The dye is still present in the fibers which means whoever took them has access to the store and the supply.
"Can you test for it?"
"Yes, with almost 98 accuracy, which is better than GSR testing."
"Good work Abby." Jenny left the lab heading back up to MTAC to await Gibbs' return and hopefully there wouldn't be any further complications to her day.
---
Gibbs, Tony and Ziva got out of the car at the shop and took a good look around. It was a classy store, probably the only very wealthy shopped there and so Gibbs was fully expecting to hate the people inside. Tony had made at least ten movie references on the ride over and Ziva was about a whisper short of killing him. They entered the store and there was a faint beep and a good looking man about forty five appeared.
"Can I help you?"
"NCIS," Gibbs greeted showing his badge. "We need to speak to the owner."
"I am the owner, Stephan, how may I help the US Government, you are with the government, yes?"
"The NAVY actually, we're investigating a homicide and we have some evidence that the bodies were wrapped in a rug from your store."
"Surely that is impossible!" Stephan protested.
"Evidence doesn't lie," Tony piped up not liking this guy a bit; especially not liking the look he was giving Ziva.
"I can safely vouch for all of my employees they would never do something like this."
"And your patrons?" Ziva inquired.
"Well obviously I don't know what happens to the rugs after they are purchased, but I have a very select clientele. I can't imagine..."
"Yea well it's usually people with money, think they own the world," Tony sighed irritated with the guy.
"DiNozzo, kindly go examine the rugs," Gibbs commanded. Tony withheld comment but moved toward the rugs when the beep of his phone stopped him. He looked at it and noticed a text message from Abby. Dye on hands can test for only employee would have.
"Uh Boss, you might want to look at this one," DiNozzo called finding a rug with slightly fraying on the edges and using it as a decoy. Gibbs came over leaving Ziva with the guy.
"DiNozzo," Gibbs harshly whispered.
"Text message from Abby," Tony handed over the phone. Gibbs read carefully and glanced at the rug.
"Stephan, perhaps you could come back to our headquarters apparently the rug has surfaced and we were wondering if you could in fact confirm it came from here."
"Yes I suppose I could," Stephan agreed hesitantly. Ziva escorted him back to the car and they drove back. When they got back to the squad room Gibbs had Ziva and Tony escort Stephan to an interrogation room and wait with him, he had spotted Jenny on the catwalk and she had gestured for him to come up. He did so reluctantly.
"Director."
"Agent Gibbs did you bring in a suspect?"
"He owns the shop."
"Did you at least tell him he's being investigated?"
"Gee and scare him off? Why didn't I think about that?"
"As a curtsey Jethro, so he doesn't call someone higher up than both of us!"
"Actually he might be calling someone higher up," Abby interrupted.
"Abbs."
"McGee's got something."
"Sometime today McGee," Gibbs snapped.
"Boss the owner has had five wives in six years, three children which were put up for adoption after their mothers divorced him."
"Hm...beats even your record Jethro," Jenny commented sarcastically.
"So you look find these ex-wives?"
"That's just it Boss, they're missing."
"All of them?" Jenny questioned.
"Yea it's kinda creepy, three of them delivered baby girls, were divorced a month after the birth, child placed into state custody and then adopted when the mother's went missing a year after the divorce."
"McGee that's what we call a pattern," Gibbs said. "Well I think the person of interest just became a suspect." He headed down toward interrogation with Jenny and McGee on his heels. As he got there Tony and Ziva were waiting just outside the door.
"Boss, he is whining and..."
"DiNozzo observation, Ziva with him, McGee fill them in." He entered the interrogation room surprised when the door didn't slam shut and instead was gently closed by the one who followed him. He hid his shock well as Jenny leaned against the door. "Stephan, I don't think we've been properly introduced, Agent Gibbs of NCIS."
"And your lady friend?" Stephan inquired clearly more interested with her presence.
"Agent Shepard," he said and Jenny bit her tongue to keep any retort silent. She figured he had a reason for not giving out who she really was, but she would be sure to ask later.
"Pleased to me you Madam." Jenny nodded her greeting leaning against the back wall as Gibbs sat down across from Stephan. "So Agent Gibbs where is this rug I should examine."
"Oh we'll get to that, first I need to ask you about your ex-wives."
"Hm...what about them."
"Hey man I understand it, I have a few myself. We just need to be clear that you're on time with all your alimony you know things like that, before we can take you as a credible witness, judges don't like ex-husbands for some reason."
"That is certainly true, your government informed me since the money was sent back to me, I have no obligation, they changed their addresses or something."
"Or something, you're ex-wives all happen to be on the missing persons list," Jenny piped up.
"I assure you I didn't know that, I severed all contact with them and their families after the fact."
"Smart move, wish I'd thought of that," Gibbs commented. "Any advice?"
"Don't get married."
"That's his motto," Jenny remarked idly. "We were more interested if you had any idea who may have wanted to harm your ex-wives."
"Is this about the homicide investigation?"
"Yes," Gibbs answered. "We have found the remains of a woman we believe to be your last ex-wife a Marta Skylar."
"Oh god, I...that is I mean I would never wish them..." the man stumbled.
"Not even thought about it?" Jenny pressed.
"If I had been a king perhaps, but alas I'm a merchant." Jenny's brow furrowed as she tried to consider that phrase for double meaning, something popped out at her, but she wasn't sure what. "Divorce was certainly difficult, but it had its payoffs."
"Hm...yea a new ex-wife to be," Jenny continued. Gibbs gave her a good glare.
"She's smart, never been married to a red head."
"Oh he could tell you all about that," Jenny poked as she left the room.
"I did not mean to imply..." Stephan faded off looking at Gibbs.
"Oh don't worry, she's not the marrying type, believe me every time I think about marrying another redhead I'm quickly reminded not to." He had hoped the comment had come out sarcastic and biting, but it was more or less true in that anytime he happened to see another red head the only one he could compare them to was Jenny. He also hoped she hadn't quite heard that comment.
---
Unfortunately for Gibbs not only had Jenny heard said comment but so had his team. His team was more or less loyal to him first and foremost, but they could recognize a good thing, and Jenny was a good thing for Gibbs. So Gibbs snarky comments put him in their black books simply on the principle that they pissed off Jenny. Ziva in particular was rather irritated but one look at Jenny told her it wasn't worth it to mention, Tony on the other end was hell bent on slapping Gibbs upside the head as his Boss did him. McGee thought it best to remain silent and Abby...Abby was just plain pissed that once again she would have to use her status as favorite to work things out between Mommy and Daddy instead of begging for new equipment.
"Director," McGee began hesitantly.
"Sometime today Timothy." He cringed at the way she said it, like a mother seriously displeased.
"Ducky said all of the women were decapitated with the same object and that it was cause of death far as he can tell."
"Off with her head, God sounds like some bad movie line," Ziva laughed.
"Actually the Queen of Hearts says it to Alice in Alice in Wonderland." All of the other people turned to look at Abby, including Tony. "What? I did have childhood you know, I watched Disney!"
"Yea but..." Tony fell silent at Abby's glare.
"Bet you don't know where the phrase came from!" She taunted. McGee sighed.
"When Queen Elizabeth ordered the execution of her cousin Mary Queen of Scotts," he relayed.
"WRONG!" Abby bounced. "Actually it comes from Elizabeth's father Henry Tudor who..."
"Hey! I know him he killed Anne Boleyn on the Tudors on HBO. Shame to, she was a knockout and really good in..." Tony was cut off as Ziva's elbow connected with his ribs.
"King Henry the eighth of England was married six times, first time he divorced Katherine of Argon, mother of Queen Mary, to marry Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth's mother. Anne didn't give him a son, so she was executed so he could marry her lady in waiting Jane Seymour who did give him a son but than died...he had a couple more wives after that and they were all executed too, ‘cept the last one, I think she outlived him," Abby explained to the group.
"Well thank you for that Abby," Jenny replied.
"He was kind of like an ancient Gibbs."
"Yes well, I suppose we should be thankful Gibbs didn't execute his exes," Jenny remarked swallowing hard. She tapped on the glass and Gibbs glared towards it but got up. He came in to the observation room looking at them, eyes first glaring at Jenny knowing she was the one who tapped on the glass, the others would never dare.
"What?"
"Ducky says all of the women were decapitated and that was the cause of death," McGee rapidly repeated.
"Great doesn't tell us who did it."
"He thinks a guillotine was used," McGee tacked on.
"Yea we found one of those," Tony reminded.
"He did it," Ziva and Jenny said at the same time. Gibbs looked at the two suspiciously.
"You have evidence to back that up?"
"Ask him about Henry Tudor," Jenny suggested brushing past him to leave. Gibbs watched her go rather confused as to why all of a sudden she didn't want to be involved. Women, still can't figure them out, he thought but turned back to the interrogation room ignoring the glare from Ziva at Jenny's retreating form.
"Stephan you're in a bit of trouble here," Gibbs lamented.
"But I have done nothing wrong?"
"Well apparently my boss feels executing your ex-wife is a crime."
"She would not be the red head that was just in here?"
"A woman running a federal agency? There's a new one."
"Like a woman running a country," Stephan agreed.
"I could think of two women off the top of my head in all of world history."
"Could you?" Stephan inquired seemingly interested in the topic of conversation. Gibbs entertained it in hopes he could get some comparison to an ex-wife.
"Elizabeth of England..."
"No, not a true Queen as history shows us, she failed to produce an heir, failed to do her womanly duty," Stephan argued and this struck Gibbs as odd, but pretended to accept it.
"And Cleopatra."
"Unfaithful," Stephan countered. "Though she did produce a son so I suppose she could be considered."
"Ah yes the gift of an heir," Gibbs commented bits of the puzzle suddenly falling together. "Do you have children?"
"Three of my exes gave me girls, took them with them, I have no clue where they are."
"And the other two?"
"Miscarried, Marta miscarried my only son; I was more than happy to divorce her."
"The quest for an heir is such a messy thin."
"It is not much to ask."
"No I suppose not, but why not try again?"
"The three who gave me girls wished to have only one child, the others obviously could not handle even one. It was a God sanctioned divorce."
"Thought God didn't like divorce."
"He came to terms with it, Henry Tudor for example, he defied the corrupt Church to divorce his first wife to get a woman who could give him a son, and a few wives later he finally got his wish."
"Yea but his son died young as I recall."
"Yes well, it's not perfect."
"True, though I daresay he had the right idea to get rid of his exes."
"Yes, yes he did."
"Too bad it's a crime, it would sure save alimony," Gibbs baited, having processed why this man was most likely guilty.
"So very true, I cannot imagine what you make for alimony, but my business alone is twenty million. Each ex got there own share of that, some demanding more than the others, especially those with their brats. It's obscene, they are the ones who failed in their duty, and I pay the consequences."
"You must be pretty pissed with them."
"I was, but I solved matters."
"Yea you're wives are missing, how convenient for you." Stephan leaned across the table.
"If you could prove it you would have done something about it," he taunted.
"What makes you think I can't?"
"Because there's no way to identify them."
"Again, what makes you think I can't?" The door opened at that moment and Tony walked in.
"Boss, we have positive ids on all of them," he informed.
"Excellent news, anything else?"
"Forensics found a dye; we can test for it if you have a suspect."
"Why don't you test our friend Stephan's hands right now?" Gibbs suggested. Tony nodded and came back a minute later with Abby.
"I'll have the results in about ten minutes," She said leaving again.
"So Stephan you have ten minutes to convince me your still innocent if that dye comes back positive." The man remained eerily silent for a minute.
"Tell me Agent Gibbs, haven't you ever wanted to stick it to them. Take back what was yours that they stole," Stephan said.
"What?"
"You're the integrity, your soul, the man you were before them," he listed. "Women been nothing but thieves, they steal pieces of you, thinking they can protect to you, offering you everything you want and then withholding it."
"Hardly seems like they can control it," Gibbs responded willing to accept that the words held more than a little truth, however twisted it might be.
"Someone should suffer for the pain I've been through," Stephan said. "They deserved it." Gibbs stood at this, leaning over the table.
"You should suffer for your own sins," Gibbs whispered before walking out. "DiNozzo! Arrest him!" Tony was quick to jump on that order and along with Ziva entered the interrogation room. McGee had joined Abby and they called to tell Gibbs it was a match, and he was glad of it, but at the same time he could tell the team was irritated with him. He went to inform Jenny of the close of the case but she was gone. Cynthia said she went home for the night, but Gibbs was more than a little surprised, it was only six in the evening. Still he left after leaving his report on her desk and drove to her house. He stopped by the library to grab a book, as it was his turn to pick their reading material. Though he wasn't sure they would even get to the reading at this point.
He entered the house surprised to find a single light on in the study. Five months ago that might have been the norm, but now since they started the relationship again, she usually had a light on in the kitchen or the living room. The fact that this was not the case suggested that Gibbs was in a bit more trouble than he'd anticipated. He entered her study to find her surprisingly not at her desk.
"Jenny?" He called cautiously; worried for a second that something was truly wrong. "Jen? Are you in here?" He heard the click of the gun from the fireplace, and turned to meet Jenny and her nine.
"God Jethro don't sneak up on people like that, it's going to get you shot!" She snapped lowering her gun and turning back to her activity. He looked over the edge of her couch and found Jenny seated on the ground with a pile of books in front of her.
"Uh Jenny, honey, what are you doing?" He inquired. She glared at him slightly for the endearment.
"Reading Jethro, what does it look like," she responded turning a page. He studied her closely for a second; she had one leg curled underneath her, her glasses perched on her nose flipping through books, and a notepad in front of her. If he didn't know better he would think she was studying.
"What are you reading?"
"Henry Tudor's biography, one of them, and some of Anne Boleyn's stories and the other books on Henry's wives," she replied flipping another page. He leaned over her shoulder for a minute reading the words and blanched a little at the description of the execution.
"Don't you think we've had enough decapitations lately?" He said gently trying to pull the book away from her.
"Jethro, I'm trying to get some insight here, do you mind?" She snapped pulling the book back.
"Insight on what?"
"Just insight, maybe you should just..." she paused a minute. She was a little pissed at the moment, she knew that much, but did she really want him to go home? No, she answered herself, knowing that she wanted him there, despite wanting to rattle his teeth as well.
"Just what?" He echoed wondering if she was angry at him for something.
"I don't know," she mumbled turning back to her books. In her mind it was inconceivable that Henry had loved six women and yet as she looked at herself she had to wonder which number she was. The questions remained whether any of them had loved him back, she wondered if perhaps it had only been the first wife or had all of them loved him in their own way. She sighed softly reading over the woman he abandon for the woman he turned the world upside down for her and the others that followed. She wondered if any of the women that followed even had a real chance, to be loved truly. It was depressing commentary, and she did not want to dwell on it. Gibbs on the other hand noticed the way her eyes seemed to glisten just a bit too much and could tell the water covering them was hidden tears. He really hated seeing her in tears. He sat down beside her taking the pad with notes from her hands and pushing the books away.
"Jenny, look at me," he said gently taking her hand and stroking her cheek. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, this is just wholly depressing."
"Yea and you get enough of that on daily basis so why are you reading more depressing stuff?"
"Do you know your library card could expire?" She inquired.
"Library card?"
"Yes I had to renew mine apparently just to check these out, and now there are limits and the few is like a dollar, when I was a kid, I spent every other Saturday in the library."
"You could have borrowed mine," he suggested trying to figure out the logic in this conversation. She gave him her look and tried to reach for her notes again he held them out of her reach. "Jen...I went by the library too," he said holding out a book.
"Jethro really, not tonight," she sighed. "Can I just have my notes back?"
"Um...nope," he put them up higher on the table and turned back to her. "So why are you angry with me?" She tiled her head up at him. "It's for the comment earlier, yep, that's what you're angry about."
"Which one?"
"Hm...the redhead one, last time I remember you ignoring me was when I made that comment to Decker about redheads."
"Gee I can't imagine why I would ignore you after that," she sniped.
"But you see you misunderstood Director."
"Did I?" She was rather doubtful on that one.
"Yea see the thing with redheads now a days, they tend to remind me of you," he replied quietly starring at the fire in her fireplace. She turned to him surprised that he would even consider saying that, let alone mean it. "I know that's not exactly how it came out today, but that's how I meant it, I was trying to get a rise out of him, he was...irritating."
"Because he did what you wanted to do." He looked at her in a mix of shock and anger, and he wasn't quite sure which was more prevalent.
"I never even thought about it," he protested.
"Not even Diane?"
"Okay well maybe once, but I never went through with it," he sound insulted.
"I was kidding Jethro," she laughed lightly.
"You know the thing with all of them; I never really had anyone to blame but myself." Her brow furrowed.
"Jethro, Diane cheated on you."
"Yea, but it wasn't like I was home much, and Laura and Stephanie...and you."
"Jethro..." She faded off. They had talked about their past, one night when they were out of books and she had been pretty sure they absolved each other of guilt upon it, deciding it had worked out for the best. "You didn't kill them, or me."
"Yea, well that's only cause I know Abby wouldn't help me hide the bodies." She swatted his arm hard, and he chuckled deeply knowing that would at least bring a smile to her face.
"I'll get you first."
"That'll be the day," he teased pulling her close to his side. "So you want to read my book?"
"What did you get?" He held it up to her and she smiled sweetly. "Catch-22, interesting choice."
"I liked the first line."
"Oh really?"
"Yea I'll even read this one," he assured. Although they each picked the books, Jenny was the one who read. Jethro had managed to avoid it.
"Well in that case," she said and curled up under his arm resting her head against his shoulder. He kissed her softly before turning back to the book
"Comfy?"
"Very."
"Okay so here we go, It was love at first sight..."
END
History Lesson: On May 19th, 1536, Anne Boleyn was executed for high treason against the crown of England. She was the second wife of Henry VIII of the Tudor Dynasty, the last of which was Elizabeth I. Anne was a woman who knew what she wanted and went after it, in this case the crown of England. She succeeded and Henry turned England upside down for her, and married her in secret. Their only child was Elizabeth I, and after Anne could not conceive a son, charges for adultery were brought against her and she died from beheading in the London Tower. Of the wives after Anne most died painfully. Jane, Seymour, the one he was fondest of for giving him his only son, died in childbirth. Two following her faced the same fate as Anne, and the last managed to outlive the King. Succeeding Henry was his son, who died at a very young age and was then followed by his sister Mary. Mary refused to let her crown pass to her half sister the Protestant Princess Elizabeth. However she didn't have much of a choice having failed to produce an heir. Elizabeth I took the crown after Mary died and paved the way for England's Golden Age. During her time, Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded upon her order, the Spanish Armada was defeated, and England became officially Protestant.