Jimmy Palmer wiped his glasses on his clean undershirt. He put them on his face, tucked his shirt and smoothed out his scrub top. Across the hall he could hear his roommate Tony DiNozzo singing, Sinatra way off key. Tony had a good voice when he actually listened to himself, but most of the time he got carried away and sang out of tune. Normally Jimmy did not mind Tony's singing but today it was grating on his nerves. For a blissful moment he thought that he had just woken up on the wrong side of the bed. Then he looked at his phone and noticed the date "October 12th 2017". October 12th, the day he had come to loath. The anniversary of the worst day of his life. Tony bounded into the living room almost ridiculously chipper. Upon seeing the pained look on Jimmy's face, Tony's mood changed. They had been friends long enough, Tony had known Jimmy's secret long enough.
"Can you handle going in today?" Tony asked.
"Nope I stayed home on this day last year. I have to be careful about spacing out or they get suspicious. Maybe next year." Jimmy explained.
The two roommates dove to work largely in silence. They had been living together for three years now. Ever since Ziva had moved back to Israel to care for her aunt. Jimmy's relationship had ended around that time and Tony ended up moving in so Jimmy could keep making rent.
"Did you talk to Ziva last night?" Jimmy asked.
"Yeah she said that Tali and her may be moving back soon." Tony explained, Nettie had passed away a few months back but Ziva was having trouble parting with her childhood home.
"Have you thought about moving back there?" Jimmy asked.
"Yes but any time I start to write my resignation, Ziva will decide to move back. She has been seeing a therapist lately. I think it's real this time." Tony explained.
"Well if she does move back. You can keep the apartment. I will sign the lease over to you and you guys can live together." Jimmy offered.
"Ziva wants a house. You can stay with us if you don't find a place right away." Tony offered.
"I know a few places in my price range." Jimmy assured.
"Cool" Tony replied.
"Yeah" Jimmy sighed.
"Jimmy?" Tony asked.
"Yeah?" Jimmy replied.
"Are you sure you alright?" Tony asked.
"I am fine. I just hope that we have a slow day." Jimmy lied.
"After that last case I would not mind a slow day either." Tony admitted turning into his parking space.
Things had changed by the afternoon. A call came through. A Marine had been murdered out in a Suburb of Norfolk. Team Gibbs gathered their gear and headed out to the scene. Gibbs was doing his usual ten times the speed limit driving techniques. After all these years Tony still had no idea how on Earth, Jethro was never arrested for his driving tactics. They arrived to the scene or rather what was left of it. The team stumbled out of the car and walked towards the burned out house.
"Why are we here? Why didn't they bring the body in? The house is a total loss. No way safe for anybody." McGee rambled.
"Our Marine made it to the out building. It is a laundry room/guest house. Her adult daughter found her. The house was gone by the time she made it home." Jethro explained.
The team walked into the out building/guest house. McGee jumped when he saw the burn marks on the wall. Jethro shot him a warning glare and he calmed down. They walked through the laundry room to the bedroom area. Tony surveyed the room. Until he discovered where the body had been left. Along with the team he proceeded over. He knelt down beside the body. The Marine was burned bad, far worse than she should have been if she made it to the guest house. He took a closer look and noticed that the cord of the drapes was tied or rather melted around the Marine's neck. Something about this scene was familiar, too familiar. He was about to open to his mouth to point out how badly the body was charred and yet the window cord was only melted by the heat, rather than charred. He didn't even get a full word out, before he remembered why this scene was so familiar.
"Shit!" Tony cried running through the charred remains of the front of the house, praying that he could get there in time.
"What the hell just happened?" Jethro demanded after Tony's outburst.
"My guess is he could not handle the scene. Maybe it reminds him of Jason?" McGee suggested.
"Who is Jason?" Bishop asked.
"Kid DiNozzo saved from a fire. We will tell the story later but that can't be it. Tony has worked fires before." Jethro recalled.
Jimmy made his way, with Ducky through the charred house. Like the team he wished that they would have just moved the body out. They walked through the house, having left the gurney on the lawn. Meaning they would be hand carrying the body out through the ash. Halfway through the house they past Tony flying out of the building. Jimmy raised his eyes with concern. He arrived into the back of the house and approached the body. He got about halfway across the intact room and stopped dead in his tracks. The body, the victim. It reminded him of... of... He could not even think about it. His body began to violently shake and he collapsed hard to the floor, letting out a blood curdling scream as he fell.
"JIMMY!" Ducky cried racing to his side.
"What is wrong kid?" Jethro asked.
"Jimmy are you alright?" McGee asked.
"What is wrong with him?" Bishop questioned.
"Don't just stand there! Get him out of here! Now! GET HIM OUT! NOW!" Tony demanded.
Jimmy came too in his own bed, in his own room. It took a moment for him to become aware of his surroundings. He sat up with his heart racing. He was sure that he was still in that horrible place. Trapped in a real life version of his own private nightmare. He relaxed when he noticed where he was. He breathed a huge sigh of relief. Before realizing that he must have blacked out. It had been a long time since he had suffered such a serious blackout. He heard footsteps coming towards his room. Still shaken by the events, he let out yet another blood curdling scream.
"Jimmy!" Tony called.
"Tony? How did I get here?" Jimmy asked.
"I drove you home. After we left the crime scene." Tony explained.
"How long was I out?" Jimmy asked.
"You were talking in the car but you passed out after we got home. You have been out for about two hours. Four have passed since the incident." Tony explained.
"You... you didn't tell them anything? Right?" Jimmy questioned.
"No I just said that you hadn't been feeling well all morning and drove you home." Tony explained.
"Good" Jimmy sighed.
A/N: What is Jimmy hiding? New chapter will be up soon. Thanks for reading and please review.