A/N: Hey again. I know I've got another story in the works, but this one just flowed so easily, I couldn't help it. This story is a tag to the episode Switch in season 3. It takes place in the summer between season 3 and 4.
I hope you enjoy it. As always, all reviews are welcome, good or bad.
Disclaimer: Alas, I still don't own NCIS. Funny who that works...
NCIS Forensic Scientist Abby Scuito was humming a tune as she walked into her lab. She went into her office to hang up her coat, shaking it a little. It was early spring and it was raining as though precipitation was going out of style. Still humming to herself Abby reentered her lab. It was early; six AM. Abby was not usually at work that early, but it was the third Monday of the month and as per regulation, Abby was there early to run diagnostics on her equipment. After a series button pushing and knob turning, a gentle hum filled the air. Satisfied that all of her equipment was on and running, she proceeded to turn on her monitors and computers.
A short second later, Gibbs' face sprung up on every image supporting screen in her lab. Abby leaned back in her chair, allowing a sad smile to grace her features. The pictures of Gibbs had gone up two days after he'd walked out of NCIS, when not seeing him was driving her insane. The first week had been the hardest. She was angry at him for walking out, for quitting. But her anger was replaced by sadness. She missed the man that she'd come to regard as a father.
At first, Abby didn't hear the soft knock on her doorway. It was the voice that called her name that broke her out of her reverie.
"Uh, Ms. Scuito?" came a voice from the doorway. Abby jumped, turning in her seat.
"Can I help?" she asked, unsure of the man in the doorway. The man took that as an invitation to step in, however, it was only one step. He was young, Small and slight. His shoulders were rounded and his dark eyes shifted constantly, avoiding Abby's face but also never straying to far from the floor. He held a folder in his right hand and fidgeted with his pant leg with his left.
"I-I-I am John Straight. Well, um, Special Agent John Straight. A-A-Actually, heh, Probationary Agent John Straight." he said.
"Well, John Straight, I'm Abby Scuito. How can I help you?" asked Abby. She was slightly impatient; she needed to run diagnostics on her "babies" before the work day started so that they'd be ready to go.
"Well, I'm working with Agent Sommers and we're working a case. He wants to but out a BOLO today and well, we have a fairly good description of the guy- I mean the dude practically ran into me- sorry, not dude, perpetrator. Anyway, we know what he looks like, but as far as what he's driving, all we have is a tread mark. Agent Sommers wanted me to check in with you to see if you couldn't find the make and model of the vehicle. He said soon as possible, I-I-I came here extra early, and well here you are." he said hurriedly, his voice dropping to a mummer at the end of his monologue.
Abby shook her head for a moment, overwhelmed with the speed at which he talked. She knew she talked fast, but this guy was a record breaker.
Deciding to pity the Probie, she waved him over. He gave her a huge smile and handed her the folder.
"Let's see what we got here," she said, offering him a wide smile of her own.
In hindsight, Abby would wonder how he knew she'd be at work so early. In hindsight, she would have wondered why he was so nervous. In hindsight, she would have wondered why he had no badge, no gun and no key. However, as the thick arm wrapped around her throat and the chloroform drenched rag shoved into her face before she could scream, hindsight would have to wait until later.
Thoop
