AU stories for NCIS episodes. Each is independent (totally stands alone) from all the others since this is all based on the possibility of parallel universes and multiple timelines... many, many of them. Later on some may seem to follow something that happened in an earlier AU episode story, but it's probably coincidence unless I say otherwise in the beginning.

This is #1 - a short alternate universe story/scene based on Season 1, episode 1, Yankee White.

The original episode aired September 23, 2003. Character names not from that first episode were taken from episodes in all seasons.

Rating: K+

Category: General

Warnings: Major character death, but don't worry. It's in an alternate reality so they're back in story #2. Spoilers for episodes, probably just the one that the AU story is about. But down the road who knows?

Disclaimer: I own nothing NCIS. I'm just borrowing the characters for a bit.

And finally, all mistakes are mine.

Anthony DiNozzo perked up when he saw the photo in the American newspaper. The President was heading to the UK for the G-20 summit and there in the frame with him was Senior Special Agent Caitlin Todd. The US Secret Service agent had protected President Bush and was now with President Obama for his first trip overseas since being sworn in just two months ago. The photographer's focus had been on Obama, but DiNozzo recognized a familiar woman when he saw one and Kate Todd was still hot. It had been over five years since the shooting on Air Force One and her career had not only survived, it looked to be better than ever.

He'd had fun on Air Force One and still had the photos. Even getting bounced on the beltway by the FBI brought a small smile until he sobered and remembered the shocked faces of his colleagues and Dr. Mallard tending to an inconsolable forensic scientist. The FBI took the case and only Morrow boarded the plane to see where and how everything had happened. Around the world everyone was happy because the President was safe, an assassination attempt had been thwarted, the culprit killed, and oh... yeah, an agent losing his life was mentioned on one or two cable newscasts.

The in-house ceremony had been short with Director Morrow awarding Gibbs the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award with Valor, as well as citations from the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of the Navy and an honorary thank you award from the US Secret Service. At the memorial service DiNozzo had gotten a little better insight into Gibbs' life when he saw the attendees. In addition to many dozens of NCIS agents and cops from every state and agents from every federal agency, were officers and enlisted from all military branches, not just Marines. JAG's Admiral AJ Chegwidden and most of his staff were there along with Senator Patrick Kiley, his wife, senators and congressmen from Gibbs' home state of Pennsylvania and a few other politicians. FBI Senior Special Agent Tobias Fornell showed up with his wife and a couple of other redheads. DiNozzo didn't attend the graveside ceremony since it was in California, but he heard later that Gibbs had been laid to rest next to a wife and child that nobody at NCIS knew about.

DiNozzo shook away those memories and looked at the newspaper photo again as his mind went back to the spring of 2004 and the last time he'd seen Kate Todd in person.

He'd gone to a White House ceremony with Director Tom Morrow, Abby Sciuto, Donald "Ducky" Mallard, Gerald Jackson and a whole slew of NCIS agents. Dwayne Pride, Chris Pacci, Jenny Shepard, Hetty Lange, Leon Vance, Vera Strickland, Riley McCallister, G. Callen, Chad Dunham, Don Dobbs, Melora Koss, William Decker, Owen Granger, Stan Burley, Lara Macy and many others that knew and respected Gibbs attended and even Mike Franks flew up from Mexico. Todd was on White House duty since the President was home and they'd only spoken for a minute before Tony headed in with the others for the presentation. Jackson Gibbs accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction on behalf of his son, Supervisory Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, and then later that day they attended a second ceremony where the fallen agent was awarded the Public Safety Officer Medal Of Valor.

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, field agent stationed in Naples, Italy, looked at the photo once more before tossing the newspaper into the recycle bin. The past was the past and he'd moved on long ago.

End

Thanks for reading. Thanks for reviewing. Don't worry, Gibbs is fine in alternate reality story #2. :)