I've been a huge fan of this show since 2003 when it debuted. I've always wanted to do a story about this show but I'm not sure I could ever handle it or do justice so I thought maybe a short one. As most authors know I do not own anything you recognize from the TV show NCIS. I do hope you enjoy it.
"NCIS please hold. NCIS please hold. NCIS please hold. NCIS please hold." Tiff said to the four lines ringing. Then after sending the calls to their proper extensions, Tiff took one more call. "NCIS switchboard, how may—" she was cut off however by her mother's voice.
"Tiff sweetheart, did Jack go to daycare today?" Her mother asked.
"No Mom, today is your day to look after him. It's Thursday. His daycare is Tuesday and Saturday." Tiff worked as the switchboard operator on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and half day Sundays for the NCIS headquarters in D.C.
"He's not in bed like usual sweetheart, did Jamie leave him with the neighbor?"
"Did you call and say you'd be late? He knows you're always less than a minute behind him."
"No, but I am a few minutes late, traffic picked up on me this morning."
"And you've checked the entire house?"
"Three times."
"How do you lose a four year old two days before his fifth birthday?" Tiff asked trying to stay calm.
"Darling, I'm sorry."
"I know you are. I'll send an agent out there and have them help you look for him." Tiff shook her head and called upstairs to the squad room.
"McGee." Said Agent answered his phone.
"Hey Tim, it's Tiff from the front desk. Are you busy?"
"Not really, what can I do for you?" Tim asked.
Tiff pulled a frustrated hand through her auburn hair and sighed. "I hate to bother you but my mother has managed to lose my four year old Jack. Could you possibly go out to my place and see if you can find him? I know it's been a slow day. That's the only reason I'm asking."
"Yeah sure. I'm sure he's just playing hide from the monster." Tim answered stating Jack's favorite game of hiding from his grandmother.
"Thanks Tim, I owe ya." Tiff said.
Thirty minutes later Tiff got a call from Tim who told her to go speak with Agent Gibbs. "I've checked everywhere. We can't find him. Your neighbor said they thought they saw something around the side of your house right after your husband left but they weren't sure what it was."
"Tim, do you think they kidnapped my little boy?"
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves alright? I'll get the M.P.s to bring your mother in and you go talk to Agent Gibbs."
"Tim, keep her there I don't want her here until we know for sure that NCIS is taking over the case. Biscuit is in the backyard could you just check on her? I know you don't particularly like big dogs but please? You don't even have to go out there just check through the door."
"Alright."
Tiff and Tim hung up and Tiff went upstairs. "Hey Tiff, what brings you up here?" Agent Tony DiNozzo asked. She didn't like the player agent but she knew he was a fine investigator. Ziva David also looked up.
"Special Agent Gibbs. We have a problem." Tiff said.
"Did you connect someone to the wrong call?" Tony asked.
"DiNozzo." Gibbs warned.
"Sorry Boss." Tony said.
"What is it?" Gibbs asked looking at the redhead in front of him. She reminded him of someone he knew but he couldn't quite place her.
"I think my son has been kidnapped." Tiff said. "Agent Gibbs, I know you're busy but he's four. Can you please look into it? His birthday is in two days. I know the FBI won't look into it unless they have firm proof he's crossed state lines or he's been gone more than 48 hours."
"When was the last time you saw him?" Gibbs asked.
"6:45 this morning. He was asleep in his bed. His dad left our house maybe 45 minutes ago and called to let me know he was leaving for work. My mom got to the house maybe three minutes later. We know we shouldn't leave him home alone even for that small amount of time but it's the safest base in the world and where we grew up our doors were open all the time."
"Have you called the M.P.s?" Gibbs asked.
"I didn't call them, no. When my mom called I thought my kid was hiding from her. My mom isn't the easiest person to get along with but my dad is constantly working and my husband's parents live in our old hometown. My mom likes one day a week with him and it saves us daycare. We can barely afford two days a week."
"She called here?" Gibbs asked.
"Yeah. Like I said we both thought he was just playing his favorite game: hide from monster. She's searched the house three times and I have this really bad feeling so I asked Agent McGee to go out and help her but he says Jack's not there." Tiff took a deep breath and told Gibbs what Tim had told her.
"Could anyone else have picked him up?"
"Tim talked to the neighbors none of them have taken him in. My dad has been super busy all week and Jamie would never take Jack to work. Besides he told me when he called that Jack was still asleep." Tiff took another deep breath as the nerves began to set in. "Please Agent Gibbs, we have to find him. If my dad finds out it won't be good for anyone."
"We will find him. Ziva get the car. DiNozzo." Gibbs said.
"Coordinating search with the M.P.s, on it."
"Thank you Agent Gibbs."
"Go upstairs get yourself a cup of coffee; call your husband."
"Can't I go too? Please Gibbs, I can't stay here knowing something is wrong with my child."
At the house
Though Gibbs wasn't really happy about it Tiff was allowed to return to her house. As she spoke to her mom, Agent Gibbs and his team were filled in by Tim. Then the M.P.s approached. After they questioned Tiff and her mother, they spoke with NCIS then Jamie pulled up in uniform. The man was handsome with his cropped blond hair, six foot, muscular build, and camo uniform.
"Stay calm, that's what our boy needs right now." Jamie said as Tiff rushed to him. Tiff nodded and Jamie kissed her temple, wrapping an arm around her. Tiff swallowed and watched as Jamie spoke with the police then walked back to his car and pulled the German Shepard from the back seat. Jamie pulled a teddy from the front seat and held it under the dog's nose then dog and handler took off. Less than a block away the dog spun in circles and then sat down. "They had to have taken a car." Jamie said walking back.
"Why our little boy?" Tiff asked.
"We will find out and we will stop them." Jamie answered wrapping an arm around his wife.
"Ah Agent Gibbs," Tiff said when he walked over, "this is my husband Sergeant Jamison Hammond and my mother—"
"Marie?" Gibbs asked staring said red haired woman.
"Leroy, it's been a long time." Tiff's mother answered.
"A lifetime ago." Gibbs answered now realizing where the familiarity was from.
"You know Agent Gibbs?" Tiff asked clearly confused.
"We grew up in the same small town in Pennsylvania." Marie answered.
"Grew up isn't the word for it." Gibbs said gruffly.
"Wait, you're telling me the man I know as Grampy Jack, the man who did so much for you, the one I named my son after is Agent Gibbs's father?" Tiff asked in disbelief.
"Yes." Marie said watching her daughter whose look suddenly became angry.
"What's going on here?" Jamie asked.
"Never mind, Agent Gibbs is the special agent in charge of the field team here in D.C." Tiff said.
"Sergeant, can you think of anyone who would want to hurt your son?" Gibbs asked Jamie.
"No, he's only four and my wife and I are dog handlers. Well now she answers phones for a living." Jamie said roughly.
"That's not my fault and you know it." Tiff hissed.
"You're right, I'm sorry."
"Jack is our entire world. There's no one we know that could possibly want to hurt us or our son." Tiff said.
"Honey." Jamie started.
"Well ... ok there is one. Thomas Mitchell. He had this huge crush on me in high school. Always got upset when he saw me and Jamie together. After Jamie graduated, Tom thought he stood a chance but I loved Jamie too much. He caused a huge scene at our reception. My mother invited him. The only other possible one is Wes Grant. He's a land developer from North Carolina. I don't know why he'd take my son though." Tiff said.
"We'd like the both of you to come down to headquarters for more questioning." Gibbs said.
"You can't possibly think we had anything to do with this." Jamie snapped.
"It's standard procedure." Tiff answered. Jamie put his dog in the backyard with their dog Biscuit then walked back to the front.
"Tiff, did you shut Jack's window?" Jamie asked as he walked over.
"No, I left it open; it's too warm for him to sleep." She turned back to Agent Gibbs, "Our son cries all night if we don't leave the window open. We never thought anything of it." Tiff explained. Though the team had already checked the bedroom without success, they dusted the window for prints but didn't find any.
Back at headquarters Gibbs lead Tiff and Jamie up to the conference room and they all sat down. "Tell me how you met." Gibbs said.
"High school." Tiff answered smiling at her husband as she fondly remembered it. "I was a freshman, he was a junior. We were in the same ROTC program. He was my best friend's mentor and my best friend introduced me to Jamie at a football game. The next year Jamie started flirting with me and I was hesitant but we started dating. By the end of the year we decided to take a break so he could go to Marine boot camp and I could finish high school. I dated a few guys but none of them made me feel the way he does. The September after I graduated high school, he and I met again. I had just finished Army boot camp and was at a training facility for a Marine/Army joint training lesson on dog handling. We got a couple drinks and reconnected. Seven years ago we got married and the Army and Marines were pretty good about stationing us close enough together, especially after we had Jack.
"Three years ago before we moved here I was defusing a bomb. My dog sniffed them out, I defused them. I misjudged the bomb and its back up detonator. I barely got away and my dog was killed on impact. Shrapnel in my right shoulder got me a medical discharge from the Army so now I move to the same posts as my husband." Tiff said looking down at her hand which looked small in comparison to her husband's when it wrapped around hers offering the most comfort he could at the moment.
"Bases." Jamie corrected. Tiff rolled her eyes.
"No suspects with a grudge or anything?" Gibbs pressed.
"None. Like I said I worked as a bomb tech. I stopped the bombs from blowing up; I don't have anything to do with finding out who built them." Tiff said.
"The only suspect I can think of that would hate me is the one that shot at Biscuit and caused her to lose her front leg and force her into retirement but even he would know that I'd track him down if he took my kid." Jamie said.
"Using our son to lure Jamie out wouldn't do any good. Jamie always has back up. We've both seen too many kidnapping cases where parents went in alone and it's against protocol for any dog handler not to have armed officers with them while doing their job." Tiff said.
Agent Gibbs nodded and stepped out after getting the name of the suspect.
"Now what?" Tiff asked nervously as she looked at her husband.
"You told me Gibbs was the best in the business, he will find our son; we just have to cooperate. Now tell me what was going on between you and your mom." Jamie said. Tiff told him all that had happened. Jamie took her hand and did his best to calm her down.
After what seemed like forever Agent Gibbs was back. He slapped a file down on the table and looked angry. "Your father ..." Gibbs prompted.
"My father is a Marine who left my mom to join the Marines before I was born in '76 and then died in a training accident at boot camp. My dad, though you couldn't really call him that, is a congressman from our home town in North Carolina and hasn't really cared about me since I was ten and my parents divorced. He's in my son's life because we live in D.C. but for no other reason. I didn't mention what he did before because I didn't want any of your team thinking I was using him to get you to look in to this. My dad plays golf every other Sunday with the director of the FBI and SEC NAV. You can't let my dad find out my son is missing. If you do he's going to get the FBI to look into this. I don't want them screwing this up or putting it on the back burner because it hasn't been a certain amount of time." Tiff said.
"For the record my dad is the self-appointed mayor of our hometown and my mom is treasurer of the school board." Jamie said.
"Agent Gibbs, please." Tiff begged. Gibbs looked at her and the door slammed open.
"Tiffany Anne Rickards." Tiff's father said entering the room.
"It's Hammond, Dad." Tiff answered automatically.
"I don't care. How dare you not tell me my son—"
"Grandson!" Tiff snapped, jumping up to stare her father down. "And how do you know?"
"A B.O.L.O? An amber alert? They popped up in an FBI database and Charlie called. After he talked to your Director Vance and found out that it happened this morning and this incompetent agent is taking care of it. I have half a mind to call Charlie—" Mr. Rickards said mentioning the director of the FBI twice.
"No, you'll stay out of it." Tiff snapped, cutting her father off. "This is my son. You have no right to get involved unless you're the reason he's missing. You walked out of my life when I was ten to go play congressman. The only memories I have of you are Mom sitting me down every birthday and Christmas and important event and telling me 'your father isn't going to make it'. You always told me that was the price of being a congressman's daughter. When I got married, Jamie's dad walked me down the aisle. When I nearly got blown up and was undergoing four surgeries to get all the metal out of my shoulder, Jamie's parents were pacing the waiting room and coloring with my son. When my son was born, you were here in D.C. making sure your stupid bill got to see committee. Grampy Jack flew from Pennsylvania to Florida on a red eye to make sure I had someone because Jamie was overseas. Now my son is kidnapped and you care? I don't think so. If this is about that stupid bill I never want to see you again."
Suddenly Mr. Rickards phone rang. He answered it then put it on speaker. "How are you today Mr. Congressman?"
"Who is this?" He answered.
"Don't you remember me? Wes Grant. I own the biggest farm in your hometown. You want to see your grandkid, you'll drop the bill."
"Fine. Don't hurt my boy. Can I talk to him?"
"Not yet. You pull your support and then you talk to him." Wes said.
"Alright." Mr. Rickards hung up and Tiff looked at him.
"You're kidding right?" Tiff asked.
"You'll understand when you have something to lose." Mr. Rickards answered.
"Mr. Rickards, if you'll follow me we'll get you somewhere more comfortable to talk." Gibbs said trying to prevent the fight he could sense coming. If Tiff was anything like Marie he knew she wouldn't stand for the accusations. It was best to keep them separated.
"It's Nicholas." Mr. Rickards answered but he followed Gibbs out of the room.
"Oh my god, how could he think I wouldn't do anything to get my son back? Something to lose? This is my son's life we're talking about." Tiff answered. Jamie sat quiet knowing it was better to let her rant. Finally when Tiff calmed down her phone rang. "Tiff Hammond."
"Mommy?" Jack cried.
"Baby." Tiff answered hitting the speaker button.
"I don't know where we're at but we drove north of the house. I could see the sun through the passenger window. It was a big black van like the ones at Sea Palace only black. I couldn't see out the back windows. There's two of them Mommy but I've never seen either one before." Jack said then a rough voice cut him off.
"Hey you little brat, that's mine."
"You touch my son you better pray I never find you." Tiff yelled through the phone. Then her rational thought returned and she headed for the door where Tim was standing guard. Tiff got his attention and pointed to the phone.
"So you're the brat's mom?" The voice asked. "Tell your father if there isn't a conference in two hours of him publicly pulling his support from his land act bill his grandson isn't going to be as happy or healthy as he was when I picked him up from his completely unguarded bedroom."
"I'll let my dad know but how will I get my son back? Just because he drops his support doesn't mean the bill will fail." Tiff said as McGee motioned for her to keep him talking.
"You'll hear our next demand in one hour."
"I'll do whatever you want just don't hurt my little boy." Tiff said.
"That's a good girl." The caller said then hung up. Tiff told McGee everything Jack had told her and then everything the voice had said. He nodded and called Tony. He gave Tony the updated information for the B.O.L.O then took Tiff down to Abby.
"Hey Abby." Tiff said. "Will you two be able to trace the call?"
"As long as the phone is still on. Abby is going to get started on that I have to update Gibbs." McGee said.
"Tim," Tiff said, "will we ever find my son?"
McGee looked back at her and nodded. "Agent Gibbs will do everything in his power to get your son back, no matter the reason he was taken. He's that good."
"Thanks." Tiff smiled.
As Abby began tracing the call Tiff sat in the spare chair and spun around singing to Abby's music. By the time Gibbs walked in Abby had nearly given up. Tim had also joined them and also hit a brick wall.
"Abby," Gibbs said.
"The last call came from north of here but the phone is no longer on." Abby said.
"Gibbs, did my father make the press conference?" Tiff asked.
"He did. 20 minutes ago."
"Why haven't they called back?" Tiff asked.
"They will and when they do we will get them." Gibbs said.
Tiff nodded then walked into Abby's office allowing the agents to speak with the scientist. After double checking to make sure they were all busy, Tiff put her computer skills to work and ran a check of all the Marines who enlisted from Stillwater, Pennsylvania between 1975 and 1976. She only turned up one name. She printed off the results and then deleted the search from the computer completely. When she saw that the agents had left she walked back out to Abby. "Abby, do you know where my mom is?" Tiff asked.
"Probably one of the interrogation rooms." Abby answered.
Tiff nodded and slipped out of the room. She made her way down to interrogation and peaked in the rooms spotting her dad in one and then she found her mom. She walked in and slammed the paper down on the table. "Dad's mom told me when I was 18 that my dad isn't my dad. Did she lie to me?" Tiff asked.
"No, I was 18 when I had you. I got pregnant in high school and I didn't tell him." Marie answered slightly scared of the look on her daughter's face.
"He doesn't know?" Tiff asked.
"He might." Marie answered.
"Oh, I think he knows." Tiff slid her the paper she had printed off. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"He was a Marine. You didn't need to know. With Nick being gone so much I figured that you'd be disappointed to know another father left." Marie said.
"You think it's my fault that they left?" Tiff was flabbergasted. She couldn't see how her mother could blame her for the men leaving.
"Well your father left because I got pregnant and Nick left—"
"That was not my fault." Tiff snapped.
"That's what you think." Marie said.
"How dare you?" Tiff shook her head and walked out. Tiff got in the elevator and sat down in the corner ignoring the other occupants. Finally the elevator sat at a stand still then when it started to move again silent tears poured down the woman's face as she sat with her head buried in her knees. This time the car didn't slow to a stop at a floor, it jerked to a halt and the lights dimmed. Tiff saw movement out of the corner of her eye and figured the other occupant had sat down. In fact she could feel the heat from their body as they sat next to her. Tiff finally looked up to see Agent Gibbs. "There are all sorts of questions I could ask you. Ones I'm not even sure I want the answers to."
"We are going to find your son. Before his birthday I promise. No, I did not know about you and I can't tell you what I would have done had I known but I did not leave because of you."
"But you know now." Tiff said.
"They will not get away with hurting my grandson." Gibbs said wrapping an arm around Tiff.
"I ran a DNA test while Abby wasn't looking. I am your kid." Tiff said. "And if that turns you off of this case because of my mom lying to you then I will find my kid myself."
"You won't be doing your kid any favors if you land yourself in prison while trying to get him back. Do you think that's how he wants to remember this birthday?"
"No, so what's our next step?"
"You go back to the conference room." Gibbs said.
"I just can't help but think what if we screw this up? Do you know why he took my son?"
"Your dad is pushing through a land act that will increase regulations on buying and selling land and how it is handled when developed."
"And Wes being the developer doesn't like the new restrictions." Tiff said. Gibbs nodded. "I don't expect anything from you. I know how busy you can get and I'm use to not having any sort of father figure." Tiff wiped away the remnants of her tears. "I just wanted to know and when I found out you didn't know either I thought you should know." Gibbs didn't say anything he just stood and offered Tiff a hand. Tiff swallowed then took it standing. "Thanks Agent Gibbs." Tiff said. They walked out of the elevator and then suddenly Tiff's phone rang. "Tiff." She answered.
"I see your father has upheld his end. Without him this bill will never see the light of day." The same mysterious voice from earlier said. Tiff hit the speaker phone button and got Gibbs attention. He led her to the squad room and motioned for Tim to trace the call.
"When can I see my son? Please. He's only four."
"Carrington Park in Triangle, Virginia. Eight p.m. Come alone with 20 thousand in small bills. I see any sign of a cop and the little boy is dead."
"Deal." Tiff said as Tim nodded. Tiff hung up and released a breath of air. "Where the hell am I going to get 20 grand in two hours?"
"We'll take care of that, you just worry about Jack." Gibbs said.
Tiff nodded and went back upstairs. Tiff looked at Jamie as she sat back down. "What? What's happened?" Jamie asked bracing his hands on her knees.
Tiff told him about the phone call. "I don't know what to do. Agent Gibbs has promised me that they will take care of everything but I don't want to risk my child for this. They're going to meet us in Triangle, Virginia at a park to return our son."
"Look at me Tiffany." Jamie said waiting until she did so before he continued. "Agent Gibbs has no doubt handled several kidnappings, we will see our son." Jamie looked at his wife closely and then he saw it. "That's not why you are upset, is it? What else is getting to you?"
"Agent Gibbs is my biological father." Tiff said softly.
"So Jack Gibbs ..." Jamie prompted.
"He'd be my grandfather." Tiff said. "I know I told my mom that I'm not looking for something but I keep thinking what if I do get attached and he lets me down too? Can I go through all that again? He apparently been married four times." Tiff said.
"I know. I've been doing some searching while I've been stuck up here. I had a friend in the record department do some digging. He's been married four times, divorced three and widowed once. You also had a younger half-sister who died at eight. Her name was Kelly. Gibbs is a Marine and if I know anything about them, they do anything for family. That's why he joined NCIS because of what happened to Shannon and Kelly. Trust me he's going to get our son back without us having to pay anything." Jamie said pulling his wife into his lap. Tiff nodded and rested her head on his shoulder.
"I love you." Tiff said.
"Love you too." Jamie said kissing her forehead. He gave her an extra squeeze as the door opened.
"We're ready for you." Tim said sticking his head in the door. Tiff looked at her husband then they both stood and walked out to the squad room.
"Here," Tony said handing her a duffle bag. Tiff took it and looked inside it was filled with money. Tiff wasn't sure she wanted to know where it came from.
"We'll be right behind you the whole way just act like we're not even there." Gibbs said.
"Gibbs, I have a really bad feeling about this. What if they don't give him back?"
"They will. They have no reason not to." Gibbs answered. Tiff nodded and they headed to the park. Tiff put the car in park and looked at her husband.
"I know you're worried but everything will be fine." Jamie said.
"He said come alone." Tiff said.
"You think I'll screw this up?" Jamie asked stunned. "He's my little boy too. Just because I'm not around as often as you are—"
"That's not what I think at all, but I don't want them to take the chance of mistaking you for a cop and hurting our little boy." Tiff said.
"I understand." Jamie said. "Bring our little boy back."
Tiff nodded and got out. She reached the park bench and looked around. Tiff sat down putting the bag at her feet. Gibbs checked with his team and they were all in position. Tiff looked around again then spotted Wes.
"What do you want?" Tiff asked.
"This bill to fail. I have a huge project in the works and I need it to go through. This bill will just set us farther back." Wes answered as he sat down and wrapped an arm around her.
"My little boy?" Tiff asked.
"Your pop is always bragging about that little boy. You really should be more careful about leaving him alone."
"There's your money." Tiff nodded to the bag. "Give me my son."
"In a moment. Joe?" Tiff went silent and Wes mentioned three more names. "Sounds like you listened to me and didn't involve the cops." Tiff wanted to make a smart comment about the bill still passing but held back. "Alright Jim, bring the kid."
Tiff held her breath and then saw her son. "Jack." Tiff breathed pushing herself up slightly.
"Uh-uh little girl." Wes said pulling her back down on the bench.
"What now?"
"Don't back sass me girl, I still have your kid." Wes said. "You know it's a shame you didn't get along with my boy."
"Your boy? I didn't know you had a kid."
"He uses his mom's last name. Thomas Mitchell."
"Never liked that kid." Tiff answered.
Suddenly Wes's brow rose. "Walk this way with me and grab the bag."
They stood and Tiff followed right by Wes's side. She was less than a foot from the dark van when one of the guys grabbed Jack and threw him in the van then Wes shoved her in. Right as the door slid shut Tiff heard the sirens. She cringed but looked back at her son then a cloth was pressed against her mouth and nose as the van squealed away from the curb. Then Tiff passed out.
I think this is going to be two shot so let me know what you think. Disclaimer applies to part two as well.
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