01x19 - Nurture

[bunniefuu]

♪ ♪

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

(RUSTLING)

Whoa.

Boo to you, too, Mr. Chicken.

(HEAVY RUSTLING)

Fool me once, chicken...

- (RIPPING, TEARING)
- (SCREAMING)

(SCREAMING STOPS)

♪ ♪

Doctor said it could be any day,

but if he doesn't show up
by the weekend, they'll induce.

Doctors believe they can
scare a baby into being born.

Don't think that'll work.

UMPIRE: Foul ball.

So, how is Caitlyn holding up?

She's nervous. And I'm not sure

I'm the steadying influence
she was hoping for

in this situation.

- Why not?
- I'm nervous, too.

I haven't had a baby
in, like, ten years.

Well, Daniel, you've actually
never had a baby.

(CROWD CHEERING)

All right, come on, Alex, you got it.

- You got it, Alex!
- (CRACK)

Aah!

PLAYER: Alex!

(MOANING)

Coach!

- COACH: Time!
- Wait, wait, wait, wait.

We need to let the coach handle it.

PLAYER: Coach, coach!

COACH: Hang on, Alex.

Stay down.

It's okay.

JESSE: Sheesh.

Looks like someone put this guy
through a meat grinder.

That will not be my official COD

for our young environmental officer.

Okay, what will be?

He died of mauling.

Well, extreme blood loss
caused by mauling.

Like a dog attack mauling?

Well, if we had rabies
in Hawai'i, maybe.

But we don't, so it seems unlikely

our sailor would have been
attacked by dogs in a way

that would have generated
these kinds of injuries.

- So...
- Some kind of apex predator.

What, you mean, like,

"lions and tigers and bears, oh, my"?

Without the "oh, my". Yes.

But we don't have
apex predators in Hawai'i.

The zoo.

Dude, I think we would
have heard if a lion

- escaped from the zoo.
- The lower part of his leg

was ripped off. A smaller predator

would have had to gnaw it.

And that is the point
of the initial attack,

KAI: And the animal was
downwind, which is

what it would do if it
was hunting, right?

Can't state the animal's intent, but

- it's clearly a danger to humans.
- JESSE: All right, well,

let's get some signs posted in the area,

keep the hikers out and find this animal

before someone else gets hurt.

Hey, you want me to have
a uniform stick nearby,

- just while you're finishing?
- No.

Whatever it is isn't hungry now.

But if I'm still here
in hours, ask again.

Okay.

Achilles injuries are really
common in young athletes,

when their bodies grow faster

than their tendons can keep up with.

What's the next step... surgery?

Probably. The ER doctor gave us
the number to an orthopedist,

but Daniel's making some more calls.

Our victim was a very interesting guy.

A box...

of animal by-products.

See? Interesting.

I have zero glass jars full of things

I'd rather not touch, but he had many.

I also brought his laptop.
I'm gonna give it to Ernie,

see what he can find.
I'm assuming there's gonna be

a lot of animal photos on there,
'cause he loved 'em.

I've never seen so many
nature books in one house.

Well, judging by his expertise,
he probably didn't know that

a dangerous animal was out there.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have
gone alone or without a sidearm.

You're right. Reid was
much smarter than that.

Hello, Agent...

Melanie Dawes.
I'm with Fish and Wildlife.

Yes, your patch gave you away.

(CHUCKLES SOFTLY)

- You knew the victim?
- Uh, not well. But

I saw your alert about
the death of your sailor,

and I realized your case
might be related

to a shipwreck CGIS and
I have been investigating.

- What's the connection?
- We have pieces of a boat,

some dead exotic animals
and a few empty cages,

including one large enough
for an apex predator.

- Smuggling.
- We think so.

Any leads on locals
who might be responsible?

We don't know any who deal in creatures

this size. But my partner,
Siggy, is currently

tracking an animal near
where your victim was found.

Any chance it's wearing a collar

with the smuggler's name
and phone number on it?

MELANIE: Probably not.

But if we catch it,
maybe we'll get some clues

that will help us track its origin.

Which, hopefully, will help us
figure out who brought it here.

Which will help us find
out who's responsible

for the death of our sailor.

Is, um, Kai still on the scene?

- Yeah.
- Okay, well, introduce him to Melanie.

- And, Lucy, can you get that laptop to Ernie?
- Uh, yeah.

Nice to meet you, Melanie.

Let's see if two agencies
are better than one.

Yeah.

I finally connected with Dr. Yuen.

You're saying that
like I know who he is.

He's the top ortho on Oahu.

Go-to guy for college athletes
and any pro

who wants to rehab on the islands.

He pulled up Alex's X-rays

and confirmed the original diagnosis.

(SIGHS)

Poor Alex.

He also

has an opening on his
surgical calendar for tomorrow.

What? No, no, no.

The other doctor said,
like, a month or so.

Yes, but, apparently,
the timing of the surgery

is not as important as the rehab.

So he might as well start rehabbing now.

Look, I understand...
I understand you're nervous.

I'm not nervous. Okay?

I just want to make the
right decision for my son.

Our son. And me too.

I know. Sorry.

Look, it's not

a question of if, it's just when.

And this is definitely
the guy that we want.

We can do it tomorrow or in three weeks.

During which time,

Alex will be hobbling
around on crutches.

And in a lot of pain.

(SCOFFS SOFTLY)

I think you're in the wrong field.

You should have been in sales,

like, vacuum cleaners or something.

(CHUCKLES)

All right, look, I just...

I need a minute to think about it, okay?

Of course.

Ooh! You saved me a trip.

Oh.

"h*. Opon. O. Pono".

h*'oponopono.

I got you a session with a kahuna

so he can lead you through the prayer.

Prayer for what?

Healing and forgiveness.
You know, after Whistler.

That's... that's really sweet,
Ernie. But I'm fine.

Sure, but I see how
you're walking around

and I wonder if perhaps
you could be more fine.

I got you mysticism.
You got me hardware.

It belonged to
Environmental Officer Keller.

I'm hoping you can break in and see

if he knew anything about
the animal that k*lled him.

I will give it my best.

Thank you.

You're-you're welcome.

Oh, you're thanking me
for my gift, right?

Not for trying my best.

'Cause... that's my job.

I always try my best.

You must love nature to be
out here with the bugs all day.

More than anything.

Did you go to school
in something related?

Uh, I have my master's
in conservation biology,

but that's not mandatory.

I did have to get legally
qualified to carry a g*n

to enforce the rules.

But I get to do that surrounded with...

... crimson I'iwi.

Nihoa finch.

Shampoo ginger.

Gee, I didn't see any of those.

Just takes practice.

Hey, what island you from?

Island of Iowa.

(BOTH CHUCKLE)

I'm sorry. I-I assumed
that you were just...

It's okay. I love Hawai'i.

And the fact that you think that

I could be part of it
is really flattering.

Okay.

Everything okay?

Yeah. Siggy clearly sees something.

Siggy? Wh...

Okay, I'm beginning
to feel really stupid.

Siggy?

This is Kai Holman with NCIS.

Hey.

- Nice to meet you.
- KAI: Hey.

Were you looking at tracks?

No. I saw a chicken.

I was hoping it would come
over to me. But... no go.

Come on, there's some tracks over here.

Let's go find a big cat.

Wait, wait...

- Big cat?
- SIGGY: Well, cats have

retractable claws, which don't
show up in their tracks.

House cat, bobcat, bigger cat...
usually all the same.

Except for the size, of course.

And this one's big. Very big.

Oh, I'm afraid that by the time
we saw a predator this size,

it'll be too late to use that.

Okay, so what do we do?

Try not to be seen.

Well, at least until
we can tranquilize it.

Did you lose the cat's tracks?

No. I found it.

I had a vet come in and help me
with the tiger-topsy.

We confirmed that the animal had

fresh human remains in its stomach.

Fits with the timeline
of the attack on your victim.

So when we caught it they
would have euthanized it anyway.

More than likely. Though...

perhaps that would have
been a better death

than being tranquilized
and breaking its neck

tumbling down a cliffside.

Tranquilizer dart.

Someone else knew the tiger
was loose and tried to catch it.

- Yes.
- Well, can we identify who bought it?

Well, there's no serial number on it,

but I was gonna take
it to the forensic lab,

see if they could pull a fingerprint.

Well, I'm heading back that way.

I'll take it for you.

I assume making my deliveries
is not why you came to AFMES?

No.

Alex ruptured his Achilles
playing baseball

and my ex-husband found a doctor

who's willing to do the
surgery immediately.

Oof.

- So we should wait?
- No.

Medically, timing of the
surgery doesn't matter.

It's the rehab. The rehab is a b*tch.

But it's nothing to worry about.

Alex is young. He's healthy.

He'll be fine, I'm sure.

No, I know. It's just...

When your kids are little
and they need something,

you just do it. You know? You...

you feed them, put them to bed,

kiss a skinned knee.

And then, when they get bigger,

you can't do lots of those things.

And the action is replaced by...

Worry.

Um...

Alex has his whole life in front of him.

I want it to be what he wants it to be.

Me too.

Aventurine.

A crystal for healing.

So, please give it to Alex,

with my hopes for his speedy recovery.

Thank you.

SIGGY: Axis deer, feral goat,
house mouse,

feral wallaby.

The wallaby colonized Hawai'i
when some escaped from the zoo

in the early th century.

So none of these are exotic
animals from your shipwreck?

We think this is a
white-throated babbler.

A rare bird from Myanmar.

- How rare?
- Enough that

the loss of one is a tragedy.

There's blood on this feather,
so it's likely dead.

LUCY: Did anything other than the tiger

survive the shipwreck?

Based on how many cages we found,

we think we've accounted
for most of animals.

Some small mammals might have survived.

Though I hope not. Without
natural predators, they could

devastate the ecology of
this part of the island.

Just interfaced with Pike
at CGIS. They believe

the ship that wrecked was
an off-shore supply vessel.

Plenty of range to make the
trip from Asia to South America,

although they would refuel in Hawai'I.

The smugglers would want to

disembark the animals for a
while. I mean, otherwise,

they would lose too many on
the second half of the journey.

KAI: But I still don't understand

why the boat was on
that side of the island.

Like, there's no good place
to anchor or unload.

Well, whoever knows
the answer to that question

is probably the same person
who tranquilized the tiger.

Which makes them responsible
for the death of our sailor.

LUCY: Well, we couldn't pull

any prints from that dart,
but I reached out

to the manufacturer to ID anyone

who imported them to the island.

KAI: Ernie, these are our colleagues

from Fish and Wildlife...
Siggy and Melanie.

Hi. I have those pants.

Our victim kept a log on his computer.

Turns out when he heard about the wreck

he was looking for the
animals that survived.

While he was in the field,
he ran into a man with a r*fle.

LUCY: Ernie, this handwriting's

indecipherable. How can you read that?

It's not that hard to read.

Ripple.

- r*fle.
- LUCY: Okay.

Timer.

Tiger.

Did Keller get a name?

Kevin Trager. DVM.

(DOGS BARKING IN DISTANCE)

JESSE: Kevin Trager?

- Yes?
- We're with

NCIS and the Department
of Fish and Wildlife.

We'd like to talk to you
about a Bengal tiger

that was on the island.

I don't know anything
about a Bengal tiger.

Then you won't mind
if we check your cabinets

- for any VG branded tranquilizer darts.
- Do you have a warrant?

Dr. Trager, I don't think
we need a warrant.

- What?
- What?

Well, no one goes to vet school
unless they love animals,

so I don't think you were
the one who shot that tiger

so close to a cliff that it fell over.

But you probably do have K in
educational loans to pay back.

Nothing good here happens
if you lose your license.

- I can't help you.
- I looked at your website.

Lots of large animal work.
How are people gonna feel

about you making a mistake like
that with a tranquilizer g*n?

All right, you're right about the loans.

But I'm not responsible
for anything that happened.

How about you cut me some slack?

Okay, how about you tell us

who smuggled the tiger onto the island?

The Hawaiian Lion King.

(PHONE DINGS)

I'm never gonna play baseball again.

Not true.

But there's no guarantee.

No, sweetheart. There's not.

Look, all the doctors say that
your commitment to rehab is key.

And your mom and I both know that

you'll be as committed to rehab
as you've been to baseball.

Yeah.

I'm gritty.

I'll be sure to put that
on my college applications.

Okay.

Look, this sucks.

We're really sorry that
this happened to you.

But there is nothing we
can do but go forward.

And your dad and I are gonna
be here every step of the way.

No pun intended.

I hate puns.

(CHUCKLES SOFTLY)

- Let's go.
- Come on.

(GRUNTING)

All right, we'll see you after, okay?

Yeah.

I love you, Alex.

Thanks.

You want to go get coffee?

I'll text you when he heads to his room.

Thanks, Janey.

MELANIE: According to the vet,

this guy calls himself
the Hawaiian Lion King

because he grew up overseas
and once had a pet lion.

His real name is Darrin Schwartz.

He runs a pretty successful
smuggling operation

- between Asia and Latin America.
- Right.

The only price for his success

is living in the middle of nowhere.

You sure this is the place
Siggy said we should go?

- Definitely. The vet said there's a five-acre compound
- (r*fle c*ck)

- at the end of the... Aah!
- (g*nsh*t)

(MUTTERS)

This is definitely the place.

I don't hear anyone moving to flank us.

I'm guessing he's alone.

- Flank us. You're ex-military.
- Marine.

That explains the excellent posture.

The...

Since he seems to be alone,

I like our odds of being
able to outflank him.

Or...

Or?

Want to try talking to him?

Yeah. Yeah. Sure.

Okay.

Darrin Schwartz?

You're on my property.
I'm just protecting myself.

How about we use our words
and not our g*ns?

I'm Melanie Dawes
with Fish and Wildlife.

My colleague, Kai Holman, is with NCIS.

We need you to put down your weapon.

SCHWARTZ: So you can sh**t me?

Mr. Schwartz, sh**ting
at us is the only reason

we'd need to be sh**ting at you, okay?

How about nobody shoots anybody?

All right, what do you usually
do if talking doesn't work?

F and W has really big trucks,
so I just drive over them.

Really?

No. Talking almost always works.

Okay.

We're coming out, Mr. Schwartz.

KAI: Put the g*n down.

Put it down.

Hands up.

Are there any unrestrained
animals that might attack us?

Pepper.

(RUSTLING)

No.

Hey. Kai and Melanie are talking
to the Hawaiian Lion King.

The ship was his, so CGIS has
solved their case. If he admits

to smuggling the tiger,
we've solved our sailor's death,

even though no one's gonna be happy

with a charge of involuntary
manslaughter as an outcome.

Any update on Alex's surgery?

Yeah, uh, the doctor just came out,

said that it went great

and Alex would be headed
to his room soon.

Why are they keeping him overnight?

This doctor has a post-operative

stem cell treatment he uses
on college and pro athletes.

Alex will be getting that, too.

As he should. I mean,
even if he doesn't end up

playing pro baseball,
he's got a long, bright future

of walking around upright.

Might as well do it
the best way possible.

Yeah.

Look, I'd, um, I'd come to the office,

but Daniel's wife
finally went into labor

and I don't want Alex alone
when he heads to his room.

No worries. I'll give you a call
if anything comes up.

Okay.

Hey, uh...

I know how hard it is

keeping all these ba*ls in the air.

I don't know how I'd
do it without Heather.

You're a superhero.

No more than any other single mom.

Well, still. You should all get capes.

Yeah, that wouldn't be
embarrassing at all

to our children.

I'll talk to you later.

I mean, it's not my fault
that tiger escaped.

But you admit to smuggling
it from Thailand.

Yeah.

Okay, then help me understand

why it getting loose isn't your fault.

'Cause that boat had no
business being over there.

Why was it?

I don't know.

By the time I checked the
tracking system to find them,

they had already wrecked.

But I tell you what, that
boat was in tip-top shape.

And if the crew had just
done what they were

supposed to do and gone
where they were supposed to go,

there would have been no problem.

So where's the crew?

I don't know.

I called them. Never heard back.

The only reason I went over
to that side of the island

was because I was looking for the boat

and that's when I saw the tiger tracks.

(PEPPER BARKS)

Pepper, stop.

All of his animals are well cared for.

Yeah, why wouldn't they be?

Maybe because it's hard to
believe you really give a damn,

you know, since they are
thousands of miles

from their native environments.

I assume I'm going to jail?

I'd imagine.

I, uh, I use, uh,

Pepper to judge people's qualities.

And she really likes you.

Would you look after her
for me while I'm away?

Dude, my dog's head is
bigger than your whole dog.

(SHORT CHUCKLE) She won't care.

Please.

I don't-I don't want her
to go to a shelter.

Like, how about...

you get me a list of
everyone you work with...

... and an inventory
of what was on the boat.

Come here.

Pepper.

Look, I'm not sure

that shipwreck was
an accident, though...

for the life of me, I can't figure out

what else could have happened.

You'll figure it out.

(CHUCKLES)

Pepper believes in you.

(GROANS SOFTLY)

Hey.

- Hey.
- Hey, sweetheart.

How you feeling?

Fine.

Hey, your dad had to step out.

Looks like the baby couldn't wait.

(PHONE BUZZES)

Can I get you anything?

No.

I'm gonna take a nap.

It's okay if you go to work.

I'm happy to stay, Alex.

(DOOR BEEPS, LATCH CLICKS)

You make your appointment yet?

I will.

The kahuna's really busy.

Ernie. You can stop worrying about me.

How did Whistler break your heart?

Did you tell her you loved her

and she didn't say it back?

Did you open up to her,
and she wasn't capable of...

reciprocating?

Was it cheating?

Ernie.

Lucy, I-I hope none of
those things happened to you,

but something did, and you're sad.

Really sad. I can read it
all over your face.

But you'll be fine.

Eventually. I just-I just...

Hey, hey. I just want you
to get there faster.

Making me cry wasn't
why you called, was it?

Because if so, I'm never
coming down here again.

No, no. Sorry.

Okay. Based on the manifest
the Lion King gave us

and the carcasses and feathers

and other evidence people have found,

it seems like all the animals
from the boat

have been accounted for. Except one.

- Looks like a deer.
- Cervus nippon,

or the sika deer. Totally common.

Was it coated in gold?

Not that I know of.

Then why put it on a boat
and bring it over from Asia?

Because someone paid him to.

Meet Joseph Gooden.

Time to pay Mr. Gooden a visit.

KAI: I was just being polite

letting Lucy ride shotgun, but it's

actually quite comfortable back here.

Well, with three kids, a cat
and a dog, you need space.

You let your pets in your new car?

Yeah, seats are waterproof.

Also has that new car smell,

which I love,

but why are we not in an NCIS car?

JESSE: Well, mine's
getting an oil change.

And mine may or may not have

the Hawaiian Lion King's dog in it.

But it's a cool day.

Pepper's in the shade,
the windows are slightly down,

and there's a bowl
of water on the floor.

Plus, Ernie's gonna
grab her after lunch.

Okay, good.

Melanie seems nice.

That apropos of...

Nothing.

She married?

I don't know.

I mean, she's not wearing a ring.

- Oh, so you noticed she wasn't wearing a ring.
- She's also

five foot, six, she has
brown hair and...

Brown eyes to die for.

Ooh! Jesse joins

- in the fun! (LAUGHS)
- Hey, um,

what about this case, huh?

Everyone living on the edge of nowhere?

You know, maybe they should invest

in some filler for these giant potholes.

Nine and a half inches of
ground clearance. We're good.

But nice job changing the subject.

JESSE: No lights on inside.

Might just be a
"sit in the dark" kind of guy.

JESSE: All right, Lucy and I
will take the front,

- Kai, head around back.
- Will do.

JESSE: Mr. Gooden?

(DOOR RATTLING)

LUCY: So, you think the
taxidermy is a hobby

or a professional thing?

Hey.

There's another structure back here.

The deer's inside.

Wellness check?

It's not well.

It's horrible.

Yeah. But that's not
how taxidermy is done.

Looks like Gooden drained all the blood

but he left the insides inside.

Why pay someone to bring a deer
all the way from Asia

only to k*ll it when it gets here?

Guys, we need to get out of here.

Why, what is it?

Maybe nothing.

Maybe anthrax.

Good news. Your anthrax vaccines,

along with the lack of any dried spores,

is likely gonna keep you from dying.

Today. Of anthrax.

So there was no anthrax in there?

Oh, no. There's definitely anthrax.

In the blood on the floor.
It just wasn't in a form

that would have made it dangerous.

So the deer had anthrax?

Many ungulates do.

But, like humans,
they need to inhale it.

This bacteria was in its bloodstream.

- Why?
- That is a mystery,

and one I hope you'll
get to the bottom of.

Okay, to recap:

we have a taxidermist
who hired a smuggler

to bring an anthrax-laden
deer from Asia here

so he could k*ll it.

Have 'em all walk into a bar
and order a beer, and you got

the makings of a joke
no one will understand.

(CHUCKLES)

JESSE: Joseph Gooden only owns

one car, which was parked
behind his workshop.

And so far, we couldn't find
any taxi or rideshares

that came out to get him.

- Someone picked him up.
- Probably.

And cell phone pings
have him on the island

the last couple weeks,
so he wasn't on the boat.

Well, they always have a co-conspirator.

Ernie's checking his cell phone records

and social media accounts,
trying to figure out

- who's working with him.
- (DOOR OPENS)

Commander Chase.

I had the biohazard lab analyze
a sample of dried deer blood,

and I was reading the results

as I walked back to my office. (PANTING)

Have a seat.

Seemed prudent to come straight here.

This is not ordinary anthrax.
It's been bio-engineered.

- And injected into the deer's bloodstream?
- It might be less rugged

than biologic anthrax.
It seems like they needed

the live deer, which is a
natural host, to keep it viable.

- Okay, why go to all the trouble?
- CHASE: I can't say

for sure, but I believe
its chemical structure

will make current vaccines
and treatments less effective.

JESSE: So if somebody

extracted it from the blood with a...

Centrifuge.

- They'd be able to weaponize it?
- Yes.

- Okay, how much can they make?
- Based on the concentration

in the deer's bloodstream,
about a tablespoon.

If properly dispersed,

it's enough to k*ll a lot of people.

JESSE: Well, this explains
the boat crash. Gooden

and whoever he was working with
wanted to destroy the evidence

of how the biotoxin got to Hawai'i.

- Okay.
- (PHONE VIBRATES)

Lucy, work with Commander Chase,
learn everything you can

about this anthrax. Jesse...

Ernie just sent me a list

of the taxidermist's close contacts.

- Find them.
- On it.

ERNIE: They're charming.
A combined years

of prison for attempted m*rder,
as*ault, armed robbery, arson.

One of them even kicked
his neighbor's dog.

Okay, but do they have
any sort of agenda?

They frequent a social media
group called Sons of Thunder.

Currently obsessed with borders
and how porous they are

- in the U.S.
- All right, well, this is Hawai'i,

and we don't have borders.

But we do have lots of
people passing through

from lots of places.

How long does it take
anthrax to k*ll someone?

(TYPING)

Two to three days.

So, if you expose some tourists
and they got sick,

it'll feel like a pandemic.

That sounds fun.

But they have to infect people first.

The spores would need to
be inhaled. You wouldn't

want to do it outside,
because they'll blow away.

So it has to be an indoor
location with high traffic,

a place where lots of people
come from someplace else.

Airports, hotels...

- Conferences.
- The convention center.

The International Tourism Board

is meeting at the convention center.

First time in three years.
One thousand people

from all over the world. Ends today.

All right, send this to
everyone. Include HPD,

CGIS, the FBI and Fish and Wildlife.

I hope that guy changed his pants.

(INDISTINCT ANNOUNCEMENT OVER P.A.)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

KAI: We've got law enforcement

on site. Ventilation is on the roof...

hasn't been tampered with,

and we got uniforms sitting on it.

Should we lock the doors?

No, that's a problem if our
suspects are already inside.

Lucy,

did you brief everyone on the biotoxin?

Briefed 'em, scared 'em. Yes to both.

All right, listen, they're gonna
want to infect as many people

as possible. They're gonna
need a powered device

- to spread it broadly.
- What's that look like?

- Don't know.
- MELANIE: I've got one of Gooden's

close contacts.

Blue shirt, brown hat.

Jeans and blue sneakers. Small backpack.

Watch on right wrist.

That is a very detailed description.

This isn't different from
identifying birds in the field.

Yeah, except these birds
are carrying a lethal biotoxin.

Well, there's that.

Melanie, Kai, grab him in a way
that doesn't spook the others.

Hey, we got another
one... far left door.

Dark khakis, green henley.

Grey backpack.

- JESSE: Got him.
- Jesse, Lucy. He's yours.

Federal agents. We need
you to come with us.

NCIS. Federal agents.

TENNANT: I've got eyes on Gooden.

But he spotted us.

He's heading into the convention center

through the glass doors.

♪ ♪

Jesse, you go that way. Siggy, that way.

I'll go up the escalator,
see if I can see him.

In a crowd, a predator's instinct

is to stay on the fringes.

Good tip. I'll keep an eye on the walls.

There... by the tile mosaic.

He's taking something
out of his backpack.

Uh...

(GRUNTS)

(GRUNTING)

Got it.

People like you... you can't stop us.

JESSE: Dude.

She already did.

Don't mess with a lioness.

Ain't that the truth.

Come on.

Excuse me. I'm looking
for my son, Alex Tennant.

He asked for a wheelchair
about minutes ago.

He headed that way.

Okay, thank you.

(BABIES CRYING IN DISTANCE)

♪ ♪

Hi, sweetheart.

Hey, Mom.

(SOFT CHUCKLE)

I remember the day you were born.

Your dad and I felt so... lame.

How were we gonna take care of something

so little?

Now look at you.

Yeah, bigger and wrecked.

Bigger and rebuilding.

But I know what you mean.

Baseball was my ticket.

I had these plans.

N-Not to play pro, but...

To be a fireman.

I was five.

Astronaut.

Eight.

- Architect.
- I get it.

Plans change.

Maybe.

But maybe they don't.

This is just a pause, okay,

in your life to rediscover
how much you love baseball.

Or find something new that you love.

And no matter what,

I'm gonna be right there with you.

I know.

You better.

Well, this investigation
was very exciting.

Thank you for letting me
be a part of it.

JESSE: Oh, we couldn't have
wrapped it up without you.

And Siggy.

Where is he, by the way?

Oh, he doesn't like being inside.

I understand.

That fringy suit of his is, like... wow.

You'd never want to take it off.

MELANIE: In case you were wondering,

we will find homes for all
of the Lion King's animals.

And, uh, hopefully no one else steps in

to fill the void arresting him created.

Uh, well, not even you believe that.

Unfortunately, someone always
fills the criminal void.

Well, m-maybe we'll
see you again, Melanie.

Maybe. Take care.

Yeah.

(THUMP)

I really enjoyed working with you.

Me too.

And I guess I was wondering
if you would like to...

have dinner.

Yeah, I would.

Okay.

I'm a vegetarian.

I'm allergic to avocados.

I like bluegrass.

Oh.

I think cats are weird.

(CHUCKLES)

(DOOR BEEPS)

- (DOOR OPENS)
- Hey.

You getting ready to go?

Yeah. We've saved the
world enough for one day.

Oh, you got a dog.

ERNIE: Uh, Kai thinks it's his.
But I think Pepper

likes me best. Right, Pepper?

- (LAUGHS)
- Right?

- Yeah?
- (GASPS) Oh, my God, you're so cute.

Well, I, um, just came by

to tell you that I made an
appointment with the kahuna.

Saturday afternoon.

- Great. Let me know how it goes.
- (LAUGHS)

I'll let you know.

Hey, can I-can I ask you a question?

Yeah.

Way back when, you
told me you and Whistler

had gotten together before this.

How did that happen?

(WHINES)

(CHUCKLES) Okay.

So, I, um...

I sometimes go to

my neighborhood bar,

pretend that my life
and my job are normal.

Like, I work in finance or in retail.

But I don't lie to people,

I just don't go out of my way

to tell them all the things
that we see every day.

One day, this...

unbelievably beautiful woman

walks into the bar and orders dinner.

And as she sat there,
waiting for her food,

I decided to talk to her.

And she was smart and charming.

She was in town for a meeting.

I didn't ask what she did.
She didn't ask what I did.

And... one thing led to another.

I'm reading between the lines.
I hope that's okay.

Yeah. Yeah. (LAUGHS)

So, after two nights,
three days, she left.

All good.

Then, after six months,

She walks into the bullpen.

Mm-hmm. Turns out she worked at DIA

and had gotten transferred to Hawai'i.

- That was a year and a half ago.
- About.

She was new at her job.
I was new at mine.

So, working together, even peripherally,

made a relationship seem...

... complicated.

So, we decided it was better

if we stayed the scrappy NCIS agent

and that annoying woman from DIA.

Was that hard?

You've seen her. What do you think?

I think you are a very strong woman.

- (SHORT CHUCKLE)
- And I mean that in all sorts of ways.

I hope the kahuna helps.

Me too.

Come on, Pepper.

(PATS LEG) Come on.

(BARKS)

(LAUGHS)

- No.
- DANIEL: Hey.

This is your brother.

Nathaniel Stillwater Tennant.

Stillwater?

Family name on Caitlyn's side.

We're gonna call him Nate.

Oh, love it.

Hi, Nate.

Well, if you would've
called him Stillwater,

we would have made that work, too.

Okay, watch his head.

Hey, Nate.

I'm Alex.

I'm gonna get strong so you and I

can run around together real soon, okay?

Oh, not too soon,

I bet.

You were at months when you walked.

Don't listen to her.

You're gonna be an overachiever.

I'll be right back.

Hi, hi.

He's beautiful, Daniel.

Well, all my kids take
after their mothers.

How is Caitlyn doing?

She's tired.

How's Alex?

Doctor said that the surgery

went as well as it could possibly go.

After a couple months of rehab,

- he should be good as new.
- (EXHALES)

I'm glad to hear it. (SHORT CHUCKLE)

How was your day?

Hi.

(SOFT CHUCKLE)

It was great.