The Visitor
The door to MTAC opened and a faint murmur of voices was heard. Tony, Ziva and Tim looked up, wondering if Gibbs or the Director was about to come downstairs with a new assignment. They had barely arrived, but Gibbs, in particular, was often there before them in the morning. To their surprise, Ducky stepped out on the walkway, accompanied by a stranger.
"What's Ducky doing here at this hour of the morning?" Tony whispered to Ziva.
"What's Ducky doing in MTAC?" Ziva shot back in the same undertone. "And who's that with him?"
Tony took a second look at the other man. Height, about 6 foot, dark hair shot through with grey, a strong face with a firm chin. Probably about Ducky's age, but the well tailored suit showed that he was still in very good shape. Even simply walking down the stairs, smiling at something their M.E. had just said, he exuded an air of command and self-assurance. They reached the bottom of the steps and his gaze swept across the trio. He didn't stop or smile, but gave a tiny nod in their direction and continued to the elevator with Ducky.
As the elevator door opened the two men exchanged a brief but obviously heart-felt goodbye, clasping right hands, left hand on the other's shoulder.
"That," said Ziva quietly, "is a dangerous man." An odd statement, but neither Tony nor Tim argued. There'd been something in that brown-eyed face…
"Ducky!" Tony called as Ducky prepared to go down to the mortuary. Ducky turned, seemingly almost surprised to see them. "Who was that?"
"Who was that?" he repeated, and the expression that flitted across his face just for a moment was exactly like that of the man who'd just left. But before they could react, he smiled gently, looking like the Ducky they knew again, and replied, "Oh, just an old friend stopping by to say hello."
Then he stepped into the elevator and the doors closed in their open-mouthed faces.