Disclaimer: I don't own the NCIS characters and I apologize in advance if I've butchered them.
At NCIS Tony and Ziva were working on a case with a murdered navy sailor, they didn't really have any leads to follows. They were bringing in the victims brother, Scott Davies from South Carolina, hoping maybe he had some incite to his brother's life.
"Officer Davies reporting in to NCIS, boss." The brother announced himself as he entered the teams bullpen.
Tony gave him a look at his formality and obvious training, Ziva was at the crime scene so this guy was his to interview. He wasn't a suspect plus he had an alibi four states away so he took him up to the conference room rather than interrogation.
"You've been a South Carolina state police officer for six months?" Tony inquired once he got Scott Davies all settled in.
"Yes sir." Davies responded.
"You've had no military training, but were top of your class at the police academy. Impressive, and when was the last time you saw your brother?" Tony asked.
"It's been almost three years." He said
Tony was impressed by this guy, his evaluations were top notch and spotless he seemed to know not to say anything more than asked. "Listen Davies you're not a suspect we called you here to see if maybe you had any extra incite. This isn't an interrogation so you can relax officer." Tony tried to get the kid to relax.
"Sorr.. I mean yes okay I guess I'm just reverting back to academy training." He stopped from apologizing and explained.
"Sounds like a better training than I received back in Baltimore." Tony told him referring back to his own time in the academy.
"Not the first time I heard that Officer Gray was tough and thorough it felt like months instead of weeks with her extra training and the rules." Davies explained, "She had tons, number three always carry a knife, never apologize, I could go on. But after her course I was a top pick for any job in the state." he continued.
"Rules.." Tony trailed off thinking of those very familiar rules.
"Yeah those who have her even finish with extra certifications in Firearms, Crime Scenes, and Profiling. It was tough and she was difficult, but it was worth the doors it opened and the preparation it gave us." Officer Davies told him.
Tony started at him for a minute.
"Everything okay? Sir?" Davies asked.
"Actually I'm not feeling so well all of a sudden could you write down anything you can remember your brother telling you recently no matter how inconsequential you think it is, whether over the phone or in an e-mail. You can bring of down to the bullpen when it's done." Tony ordered.
"On it boss. " Davies responded and started writing.
Tony went down to his desk and closed his eyes till he heard his boss return to his desk. "Gibbs something weird is going on." Tony said.
"Spit it out Denozzo." Gibbs said not really in the mood for Tony's antics.
"You haven't been teaching police academy courses in your free time?" He followed up.
"What the he'll you talking about?" Gibbs asked with little patience.
"The sailor's brother is upstairs writing us a report. He went to the academy in South Carolina a few months ago and the way he explains it sounded like Gibbs Training right down to rule number three always carry a knife." Tony explained.
"He tell you who his instructor was?" Gibbs asked now curious.
"His file said Officer Sarah Gray. I checked up a little she's been there five years, almost to the date." He trailed off, "Oh here he comes." Tony said as Davies approached, "Oh and he called me boss not sir a few times." Tony added.
"The report Agent Denozzo." Davies handed it over.
"Let me see it Tony." Gibbs requested walking over, he scanned it quickly and recognized it as top work.
"Who was your instructor at the academy?" Gibbs asked.
"Officer Sarah Gray." He answered, "Is there a problem I'm unaware of?"
"Not regarding the case." Gibbs responded.
"I don't understand." Davies continued.
"My name is Special Agent Jethro Gibbs have you ever heard of me?"
"No I know of NCIS and its background but not much about the agents here." He answered honestly.
"What's rule number 12, Davies?" Gibbs asked.
"No interoffice romances, boss." He responded instantly.
"Boss I'm starting to freak out." Tony entered the conversation.
"Do you draw sketches or take pictures at crime scenes officer?" Gibbs continued.
"Both." He answered getting very uncomfortable.
"Why?" Gibbs prompted.
"One isn't sufficient, measurements are hard to determine from photographs." He answered.
"You learn all this from Gray?" Gibbs asked.
"That's right." He answered.
"Very good Officer you are free to go, we'll keep you updated on any developments into your brother's murder." Gibbs told him.
After he left Gibbs sat down at his desk.
"Boss." Tony prompted.
"Sit down Denozzo." He said without any strength not sure what to think, not wanting to allow his mind to follow certain lines of thought. But he couldn't just drop the matter his gut was churning.
"Call Ziva, tell her this investigation is hers unless she needs your help." Gibbs ordered.
"On it boss." Tony said picking up his phone.
It was at that very moment that McGee walked into the bullpen. "McGee give all the work you're doing on this case to Abby." Gibbs ordered.
"There a problem?" McGee asked.
"Do it now, Probie." Tony said after hanging up his own phone.
"Follow me." Gibbs said and headed for the elevator after McGee spoke to Abby.
They followed him and entered the elevator behind him and let the doors close. They just stood against the back wall while Gibb's pressed the emergency stop button and then let his head rest against the wall as his mind was going crazy.
"Boss?" McGee asked.
"Shut up Probie." Tony said sharply.
"Lay off of Timothy." Gibbs said and after a minute continued, "Tim when you get back to your desk you need to do some searching and it needs to be untraceable." Gibbs started.
"Boss?" He asked again.
"Find anything you can about a Police Officer Sarah Gray in South Carolina, and then I need you to look up any FBI file with the same name mentioned five years ago. Do this as soon as possible McGee, top priority." Then Gibbs turned to Tony, "You are leaving today on the next flight to Charleston, no contact, no matter what you see. No pictures either but be sure. I want you back here in 12 hours with confirmation, and Tony don't turn your phone on while you're there just get back here."
"Should I fly under a different name, boss?" Tony asked.
"Yeah and don't flash your credentials to anyone." Gibbs said his head still back.
"What are you gonna do?" Tony asked him.
"Keep this office running." He said now looking at his team, "Don't mention what you are working on to anyone, not even Ziva. Got it?" Gibbs prompted.
"Yeah, boss." They both responded.
"What's going on what am I really looking for?" McGee asked nervously.
"You're looking for Caitlin." Gibbs answered quietly. McGee just stared and then squeezed his eyes shut. Then Gibbs added, "Not even Abby."
"Yeah." McGee nodded.
"McGee, you will meet me at my place in three hours and Tony your ass better be in the air by then and at my house by 0800." Gibbs said.
Tony and McGee stood silently waiting for Gibbs who rubbed his face a few times before turning the elevator back on.
He knew his next step should be Ducky, he'd be the only one in on it. They would have needed him for setting up the early drop and special effects and getting her through to the morgue. But he couldn't bring himself to do that yet.
Gibbs went home instead, to his boat. He had been sanding for a few minutes when he realized he forgot about Ziva. He called her and made up an excuse about the FBI needing some help on and old case they shared and said he thought she could handle this one and if she needed help she could call some junior agents, and told her to make him proud.
Kate's been in witness protection for almost five years. There was a leak among Ari's men alerting them to the fact she was the target. First the protection placement was only to be until Ari was caught, then till his three trusted men were caught, and that had just happened. Finally after almost five years it was finally confirmed that the hit ordered on her was finally lifted.
During the past five years she'd been teaching police academy courses in South Carolina. She had thrown herself into the work and Sarah Gray became known as the toughest instructor but those who made it through her course became the best and most sought after officers.
She'd been cleared to return to her past, back to the life of Caitlin Todd for just over two months now, but how does one take that step? Her family, her friends, her coworkers had grieved they'd moved on was it even the right choice to invade their lives again.
She had a new life in South Carolina. It was productive though not exciting. Her coworkers had long ago given up trying to befriend her to them she was serious and cold. Her knowledge of movies probably now would give Tony a run for his money. And her prized possession, her sketch book, was filled with pictures from Caitlin Todd's life. She cried the night two years ago when after a date she found her sketching turned into a picture of Gibbs on a sailboat, she found herself drawing him more than anyone else and didn't want to consider what that indicated.
She looked up her old team for the first time the day after the US Marshalls had alerted her to her new status. The fact it was the first time she'd done such a thing demonstrated self control to be rivaled by no one.
She now had a choice to make. She'd been at her job for just five years but she was the top instructor and if she allowed herself to examine the situation she'd realize she'd become to the SC state police what Gibbs was to NCIS with the reputation to match, she was private didn't accept mistakes from herself or anyone else and lived by rules of her own choosing.
She didn't realize as she sat in her local bar debating her future whether to stay where she was or to go back to DC that soon the choice to stay hidden would be taken from her.
Gibbs was asleep on his work bench with his jar of bourbon empty on the floor next to him when McGee showed up.
"Boss." McGee woke him slowly.
It took him a few minutes to compose himself and stand beside McGee. "Tell me I'm wasting our time." Gibbs said.
"I found three things of interest." He started and then continued, "I found a log of a file entitled Gray, S from five years ago, no info only a ghost of a deleted file from the FBI. But I ran another search same parameters using six month intervals for the last five years. It turned up nothing till two months ago the file was accessed again on the FBI's main frame and then deleted completely. Now when it was removed five years ago it may have been moved to another server, but two months ago a hard copy was printed and now there's not even a ghost of the file left." McGee tried to explain.
"Any specifics about the case?" He asked.
"No nothing I can't even open it, the only reason I could find it was, well you won't understand but it's… the dates they match up. It was originally created a day before everything happened. I can't get anymore and remain undetected on their server." McGee explained.
"Now we wait for Tony." Gibbs said.
"Sir." McGee said.
"There's a mat and blanket on the top shelf over there, or the couch upstairs. I've got the bench." Gibbs said dismissing him.
Tony showed up a little after six am and sat on the bottom step.
"Boss. McGee." He woke them up easily they were obviously waiting for it.
"Tony." Gibbs asked without saying a word.
"Her hair is lighter and I think she had green contacts on. I followed her from the police grounds to a bar and then home. She drank alone and went home she's the only one who lives there. I went back out to a bar closer to the academy the recruits were talking about her it sounds like she didn't just turn into Sarah Gray but adopted your social skills from the talk going around." Tony reported.
"There most be some very well qualified police officers in South Carolina. From her evaluations and reports she is there number one instructor and has been offered promotions but always turns them down. She lives alone and from her credit cards it's always been that way." McGee said.
"Boss what do we do?" Tony asks, 'it's Kate."
"First we find out why if this was done because someone knew she was Ari's target has it gone on so long and if it's still required or if she chose not to return. McGee you move your search to Ari I want to know what the FBI found out and didn't share, find out what they have on Ziva and if there could be any lose ends the Marshalls are waiting to be tied up. Tony you're coming with me to visit Ducky." Gibbs ordered.
"Boss?" Tony asked.
"He had to have known and you are going to keep me from shooting him." He said.
"Why are you two just standing there?" Gibbs asked.
"Ziva?" Tony inquired.
"Ari was her half brother." From the looks of his two agents he knew he had to continue, "She also shot him in this basement saving my life. No one knows that information." Gibbs shared.
"Yes sir." They responded and left.
Kate was alive.