Fatal Attraction.
Chapter 1.
Anniversary.
AN: Thought I'd take a leaf out of Chirugal's book and try my hand at the phoof thing. Chirugal hope you don't mind me copying you! This is set before Ziva/Director Sheppard arrived.
Phoof (Greyed out photo of Gibbs in absolute shock)
It was two years to the day since Special Agent Caitlin Todd had joined NCIS. She had resigned from the secret service after an illicit affair. She smiled as she remembered the first case she had ever worked at NCIS, named Hung out to dry. She smiled as she thought about her colleagues; her boss, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, her partner, Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, their 'probie', Special Agent Timothy McGee, the ME, Dr. Donald 'Ducky' Mallard, his 'autopsy gremlin' Jimmy Palmer & Cate's closest friend & the agency's forensic scientist, Abigail Sciuto.
Cate had been surprised to learn that Abbey was a Goth. Nowadays it was second nature to see Abbey in some interesting outfit, most of which was usually black, & usually came equipped with any number of dog collars, studded wristbands, & rings & not to mention the dark makeup & tattoos. Cate's favourite Abbey hairstyle was when Abbey wore braided pigtails.
Cate smiled as she remembered the first time she had met Abbey. It was hard not to become friends with the bubbly, ever enthusiastic scientist. She had quickly gotten used to Abbey's fast-paced delivery of information. Not to mention her quirky way of alerting Gibbs to the fact that things weren't always as they seemed. Abbey also had an entertaining habit of getting off topic very easily, although when Gibbs gave her his 'look', she would hastily try to get back on topic. Strangely she also had an extremely quick temper. And McGee often had a habit of saying the wrong thing & setting her off. Cate smiled as she remembered all the times Abbey had punched him for saying something wrong.
Cate looked up at the clock & realized she was going to be late. She gathered her things & headed out to her car.
Abbey sat at her desk staring at a picture Cate had drawn of her. It was a cartoon of Abbey as a bat. Abbey smiled. She really had to get it framed so that she could hang it up. Abbey pulled out a present she had gotten for Cate to celebrate her being at NCIS for two years. She placed it next to the picture & got up. Abbey quickly turned on all her computers, her mass spectrometer, & was just about to head down to autopsy to say good morning to Ducky & Jimmy, when McGee walked into the lab.
"Hey Abs. Need any help with anything? Want me to carry anything anywhere?" Abbey was instantly suspicious, until she remembered the day before. McGee had put his foot in it as usual by saying that Cate was pretty & Abbey had given him an interesting look which had caused him to realize his comment had sounded like he thought Cate was attractive & Abbey wasn't. She giggled as she recalled how he had tried to fix it & how she had punched him in the arm. She looked closely as McGee & smiled evilly. She could tell he was trying to make up for what he'd said. Well if he wanted to help, she wasn't going to stop him. McGee saw her face & knew she was going to give him hell. H sighed inwardly & prepared himself for the worst.
"You can finish turning on my babies including the evidence fridges. Then you can go & get me a Caf-Pow. When you come back with my Caf-Pow I'll find something else for you. Go on get cracking Probie." He gave her the same look he always gave Tony when Tony called him 'Probie'. She pointed towards the fridges with her 'Gibbs' face & he relented. Just then Tony walked in.
"Hey Abbey. Cate in yet?" Abbey looked up at the sound of his voice & shook her head.
"Dunno Tony, I haven't seen her yet. Is it just me or is McGee feeling guilty about what he said yesterday?" Tony gave her a puzzled look.
"Why? What's he done now?" Abbey smiled an evil grin.
"Its not what he's done. He came into the lab not long before you & asked if there was anything he could help me with. So since he offered…" Tony laughed. "Maybe the Probie feels bad. Don't work him too hard, Abs. Would hate to think you would manipulate & mess with someone like that. Although I suppose you've already messed with him in other ways if you catch my… Ow, morning boss." Gibbs had come in while Tony was talking & had heard everything Tony said. When Tony had got to the last part Gibbs had head slapped him, & in doing so alerted Tony to his presence.
"Where are Cate & McGee?" Abbey pointed to McGee who was just coming back with Abbey's Caf-Pow.
"Where's Cate?" Gibbs asked McGee, who shrugged.
"Uh I don't know boss I haven't seen her yet. Should I uh call her & find out where she is?" Gibbs didn't answer but just stared. McGee took his stare for a yes & was just about to use the phone on Abbey's desk to call when Cate walked into the lab followed by Ducky & Jimmy.
"Quite the congregation in here. Jethro, what's the matter?" Gibbs walked over to Cate.
"You're late Agent Todd. Tony gas the truck, McGee load the gear, Cate help Ducky. Do whatever he usually tells Palmer to do." Jimmy started to protest but Gibbs gave him a challenging stare & he stopped. Cate knew she was being punished for being late. She deliberately rolled her eyes in Gibbs' direction. He gave her the same stare but she rolled her eyes again & followed Ducky. Ducky was trying not to laugh.
While Cate lugged all the equipment into the ME van, Ducky noticed that Jimmy Palmer seemed at a loss for what to do. He was standing next to the open door of the van, subconsciously checking to make sure Cate wasn't forgetting anything. Once she was sure everything was where it should be she waved as Ducky & Jimmy drove off & then headed for the garage to get to the truck. Only to find that Gibbs had already left & was obviously expecting her to ride with Ducky. She was contemplating calling Gibbs but decided against it. She could've called Jimmy or Ducky but she figured one of them was driving & the other would be navigating. Instead she headed for the only place in the building where she knew one of their team would be: Abbey's Lab.
Abbey was running DNA samples for another case when Cate walked in.
"Hey Cate. Shouldn't you be out with the bossman?" Cate smiled. She could always rely on Abbey to cheer her up.
"They left without me. I think Gibbs is trying to punish me for being late. Need a hand?" Before Abbey could answer the phone rang. Abbey walked over & picked it up but didn't get a chance to say anything.
"Put Cate on." Said a familiar voice. She handed the phone to Cate.
"Hello?" She asked.
"Where the hell are you?"
"Uh… In Abbey's lab Gibbs, I assumed you would have known that considering you've rung." She heard him sigh on the other end.
"You think? You were supposed to come with Ducky & Palmer! How are you supposed to collect evidence from the crime scene if you're in Abbey's lab?" With that he hung up. Cate slammed the phone down causing Abbey to jump.
"How am I supposed to know what Gibbs wants me to do if he doesn't say anything? I'm not a mind reader." Abbey patted her shoulder.
"He did tell you to schlep for Ducky. So I guess he assumed you would remember that Ducky needs help at the scene as well as here." Cate gave her the Cate version of a Gibbs stare.
"If that was what he was assuming then he should have told me cuz as I already stated Abbey I'm not a mind reader. Does that mean that by hanging up on me he expects me to drive over to the scene now?" She sighed as Abbey nodded. She grabbed her bag & headed for the elevator. When she got to her car she realised Gibbs might receive her better if she took a peace offering. She decided to head to his favourite coffee shop before going to the crime scene.
"Tony, photos & sketch, McGee, start bagging & tagging. Got a time of death yet Duck?" Ducky looked at him & sighed.
"Jethro, must you always ask so quickly. You seem to have a habit of asking before I even put the liver probe in. You know that I can't even give you an estimate until the liver probe is done." Just as he finished speaking they heard a loud beep. Ducky bent down to check the probe.
"The best estimate I can give you so far is that he's been dead for minimum 48 hours, maximum a week. It's possible that the killer kept our victim for a few days but I won't know for certain until I get him home. Which I assume I can now do?" Gibbs looked over at Tony who nodded.
"Uh… boss… don't you think…uh that maybe you uh should have told Cate uh never mind." McGee had stopped after seeing Gibbs' face. As Ducky & Jimmy loaded the victim onto the gurney & into the van, Cate's car pulled up next to it. As she got out of the car, Gibbs smiled when he saw what was in her hand. She walked over to him, glad that he accepted the coffee.
"Sorry I didn't pre-empt what you wanted me to do. I should have guessed you would want me to ride with Ducky. Are you still mad at me?" Gibbs smiled, sipped the coffee & shook his head.
"Just the way I like it. By the way Cate, you do remember what today is don't you?" His question caught her off guard & he smiled at her puzzled face.
"I think you will find Caitlin, that Jethro is referring to the fact that it has been two years to the day that you joined us here at NCIS. Yes, quite the anniversary. We should celebrate." Tony pouted at this.
"We didn't celebrate my 2yr anniversary! Ouch... thanks boss." He finished as Gibbs headslapped him.
"Maybe after the case, Duck." Gibbs said, chuckling.
"To be honest, that's kinda why I was late. I was sorta daydreaming & reminiscing & I lost track of time." Gibbs raised an eyebrow.
"Reminisce about anything in particular?"
"Uh yeah, Tony," Tony perked up at the sound of his name. "When he tongued that transsexual." Tony gave her a dirty look as everyone else laughed.
"The first time I met Abbey, the day McGee joined the team, when we went to Gitmo & Tony got spooked by an iguana. Should I continue?" Gibbs laughed.
"What about the case we had with the cargo pod & Abbey kept going on about the mummy's curse? Or the case with the hoax crop circle? Or the case where McGeek suggested Spontaneous Human Combustion? Or," Cate held up a hand.
"We get the point, Tony. Remember the case we had with the corporal who thought he'd murdered his best friend on Iwo Jima?" Everyone went quiet.
"The best part of that case was proving he was innocent." Said McGee quietly.
"Let's
get back to solving this case & leave the reminiscing for later.
Cate,"
"Head over to that clearing & start bagging &
tagging? On it." Gibbs laughed. Cate walked over was glad she
already had a camera around her neck. As she started gathering
evidence, she noticed something sticking out of a nearby bush.
When she got closer she realised the others needed to see it.
"Uh… Gibbs? You might wanna get over here & check this out. Like now??" she called to him. He came over & the others followed.
"What's up Cate?" Gibbs asked. Cate didn't answer but simply pointed. They followed her finger & Even Gibbs gasped at what was in front of them………
PHOOF.