Days had turned into weeks. Weeks into months. Months into years.
Noah DiNozzo was fourteen, and was attending Woodrow Wilson Senior High School in D.C., roughly a half-hour drive from NCIS Headquarters. Kristi loved the drive, though, whether she was driving him, or Tony was – it gave them each a chance to talk to Noah. Even though Noah was getting to that point in his teen years where he should hate his parents, and refuse to speak, he enjoyed the time too – he was just better at hiding it.
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Kristi poked her head out of the bathroom, her hands yanking her brush through her hair.
"Noah! Please tell me you're ready to go!" she hollered towards her son's bedroom, before stepping back into the bathroom to get the band around her ponytail.
"Ma! Really? I've been ready for fifteen minutes! Maybe dad just should have taken me," he said, shaking his head and flopping onto the couch. Kristi paused, and sighed, before flipping off the bathroom light and making her way towards the living room.
"If your dad hadn't shut off the alarm, you and I would be on the road without the need to speed," she said, before pausing, and moving quickly back to the bedroom. Returning with her badge and her bag, she sighed. "Get up, let's go. We're gonna fly," Kristi said, somewhat reluctantly, before ushering Noah out the door.
She whipped the car up into her parking place at NCIS, and climbed out, jogging inside and skipping the elevator to get upstairs without the wait. Upon arrival at her desk, she tossed her bag, stuffed her badge and gun into her drawer, and turned around, leaning over the wall dividing her desk from Ziva's.
"Good morning, McGee…Ziva,"' she said, smiling at the two of them, and turning a scowl on Tony. He frowned, but then grinned at her innocently.
"Trouble getting up this morning?" Ziva asked, looking up at her with a raised eyebrow.
"I did. Just…not in time…It's amazing how fast I can get from the apartment to the school and back here. Never made that time in my life," she snickered, shaking her head before flopping into her chair.
"Don't get comfortable, Reis. You're with us – we got a dead sailor," Gibbs announced as he walked between desks to grab his gun and badge, and head to the elevator. Jumping up, she grabbed her bag, and scooted into the elevator directly behind Gibbs.
She kneeled beside the body, bagging small pieces of scrap and evidence that were near the victim's head, as Ducky pulled up. He exited the driver's side, and moved around to the back, opening the doors. A moment later, he, Palmer, and Mallory emerged from the back of the van, and approached the body, Mallory with her camera around her neck.
"I hope you haven't moved that body, Kristi," Ducky called before setting the cases down. Kristi chuckled, and stood up, moving away from the victim.
"Have I ever, without your permission?" she pointed out, smiling at Mallory. Mallory smiled at Kristi before stepping to the foot of the victim, and raising her camera.
"Is it bad that I have the urge to tell him to say Cheese, and Pose for the Camera, Uncle DD?" Mallory questioned sheepishly, and quietly, glancing over the viewfinder to see Ducky. He snickered slightly, before shaking his head.
"Somewhat, dear, but so long as you actually don't…then I think it's okay," he said, tilting the victim's head to the side.
"What've ya got, Ducky?" Gibbs asked, jogging up behind the crew.
Ducky didn't answer right away – he looked over the body, checked the fingers, the neck, and the abdomen while waiting for Palmer to arrive with the body bag.
"As usual, Jethro, I won't know cause until we get this one home….but it appears that he was stabbed multiple times in the abdomen…and once, here," he said, tilting the head away from them before motioning his fingers over a wound in the back of the neck, "though I can't possibly see why…"
"Keep me updated…DiNozzo! McGee!" Gibbs hollered, turning around. "You both better be baggin!" he called, moving towards the rest of the team. Mallory watched him for a moment, before stepping away from the body, and snapping a few shots from around the body.
"…Uncle DD? Is he always like this?" she asked gently, crouching to the ground so he could hear her, and Gibbs could not. Ducky nodded slightly, glancing behind him at Gibbs.
"Most times, yes…but you get used to it….or you don't, I suppose it would just depend," he chuckles. Giggling, Mallory finished snapping photographs before stepping out of the way so Palmer could help Ducky bag the body.
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Kristi climbed out of her chair, and walked behind the neighboring desk, leaning across to toss the papers clipped in her hand onto Gibbs' chair.
"Anyone seen Gibbs?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Tony's head was ducked as he concentrated on his computer, and Ziva had her phone pressed against her ear. McGee glanced around, and shook his head.
"Either out for coffee, or talking to the Director…or down with Ducky…or…" Kristi, chuckling, waved her hand.
"I get it…" She paused for a second, and looked over her shoulder as her phone began to ring, before smiling at McGee, and moving to answer it. "Reis…what?" She sighed, and shook her head. "I'll be right there, thanks," she replied reluctantly, before putting the phone in the cradle. "Tony?" she called. No answer.
Kristi turned around, and sighed, before walking up behind him, and swatting him on the back of the head. He jerked forward, and spun, frowning.
"Hey! You aren't Gibbs, what was that for?"
"You aren't paying any attention to the rest of the team. I have to leave – your brilliant young son decided to pull a series of pranks at school," she grumbled, turning and moving back to her desk.
"He okay?" Kristi stopped, hand on her desk before turning to see him.
"Yeah, Tony, if you consider an immature and completely rude fourteen year old who can't understand what 'If you do that again, you're getting suspended' means, Okay," she answered, grabbing her keys and her bag. He frowned.
"You okay?"
"Yep. Fine. Just fine. McGee, please make sure that Gibbs knows I had to leave," she said, moving to the elevator without waiting for an answer. Tony looked at her as she left, before turning to look at McGee, who averted his gaze back to the computer. Shaking his head, Tony turned his attention back to his monitor, placing his headphones on his ears.
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Tony approached his desk, water bottle in his hand, and paused when he saw McGee using his phone.
"Who's McGee talkin' to on my phone?" he asked, catching a glimpse of the serious look on his face. Ziva looked over.
"I have no idea…"
"Hang on a second, he's here. Tony," he said, standing up and holding out the receiver. "It's for you." Tony frowned, and shook his head.
"Who is it, McSmarty Pants?" he asked, putting the bottle down.
"Someone from Metro PD. It's about Kristi…there's been an accident." Tony was pressing the button and closing the elevator door before McGee could object.