It was 0200. Vance called Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, Ducky, Tim, and Abby to his office for a meeting. It was very important. He instructed them to leave their cell phones at home and to bring a small box of their most sentimental possessions. They were told to not tell a soul about where they were going. When they got into Vance's office he locked them in and put six files on the table.
"You all are probably wondering why you're here and what this is about," Vance said. They all nodded.
"Why did we have to bring our most valuable possessions?" Abby asked.
"What I am about to say cannot leave this room," he took a deep breath, "There has been a hit put out on all six of you." The team looked confused. "NCIS cannot track down the persons involved because it's a cartel. We cannot make any arrests or stop it."
"So, what are we going to do?" Tim asked.
"We cannot save you, but we can save you." The team looked very confused.
"Umm…is this an American expression that I do not know?" Ziva asked.
"No, it's not. The only way we can save you is if we…fake your deaths." The team went wide eyed.
"How do you plan on doing it?" Ducky asked.
"I have friends that are agents in a secret service called EWPP. Extreme Witness Protection Program. They specialize in making new lives for people and making their old ones disappear. This isn't the first time they did this with NCIS personnel. Actually it's the third time. I figured that you will want to stay together, so before I tell you what's going to happen, any questions?"
"What do you mean this is the third time they've done this to NCIS personnel?" Gibbs asked rudely.
"You will see when you get there. They have placed you on a huge farm in Oklahoma. It is pretty much deserted, so you won't need to leave the farm a lot. All they're changing is your last names. You'll be living as a family. They won't move you around too much, maybe every two years."
"Two years!" Tony exclaimed.
"How long do you think this will go on for?" Abby asked.
"What you need to understand is…once they fake your deaths there is no going back," Vance said, "Get your things and head out to the back of my SUV in the basement. The seats are down and the widows are tinted, but I am still making two trips. First off I need Gibbs, DiNozzo, David, and Scuito in my car. Doctor Mallard and McGee I will come back for. Go down now and I will be right there." He handed the files to Gibbs. Gibbs walked out followed by Abby, Ziva, then Tony. They all got into the elevator. Tony shut it off.
"This is some sick joke, right?" Tony asked Gibbs.
"No, no its not," Gibbs said.
"I mean Vance can't be serious," Ziva said.
"I think he is," Gibbs replied, "I think Ducky worked with him on the other cases like this before."
"Why do you think that?" Abby asked.
"I don't know," Gibbs said turning back on the elevator, "Just a feeling." They went down to Vance's SUV and sat in the back of it. Abby looked scared and upset. Gibbs handed Tony the file with his first name on it, Ziva the one with her name on it, and Abby the one with her name on it. Abby was the first look through it. Tony, Ziva, and Gibbs didn't look at first.
"What's yours say?" Tony asked Abby.
"It's all fake," Abby said, "It's my fake name, fake bio, and fake everything. It starts out where I grew up. I apparently grew up on a small family farm in Oklahoma, but not this one. I am 20; I live with my parents and my four siblings."
"What else is in there?" Ziva asked.
"Just a lot of paper work. Gibbs what's in yours?" Gibbs looked through his.
"Same as yours, but it says I live with my five kids and wife," Gibbs said.
"Lucky number five!" Tony laughed earning him a head slap. Abby started cracking up. Gibbs glared at her.
"Something funny?" Gibbs asked her.
"Yeah, kind of," she replied laughing. Gibbs smirked.
"Hey!" Tony said, "How come she never gets head slapped?"
"Because according to this documentation I'm the youngest out of the five of my siblings. The youngest always gets away with everything, Tony."
"No fair." Abby and Ziva laughed. "So, technically boss…Me, Tim, Ziva, and Abby are your kids now."
"I guess so," Gibbs replied.
"Abby," Ziva said, "Didn't you say there were five siblings?"
"Yeah…why?" Abby asked.
"Tony, Tim, me, and you is four, not five." Abby looked through the paper work.
"Tony, Tim, Ziva, another girl, and me," Abby said, "And whose Gibbs married too?" Vance got in the back of the SUV, with a big black blanket.
"I'm only doing this because it's the only way to sneak you out unseen," Vane said, "You might not like this."
"What?" Abby asked.
"I have to cover you all up by putting a blanket on you, but you'll have to lie down."
"What's so bad about that?" Tony asked. Vance smirked.
On the way to Vance's house Ziva was laying on top of a crushed Tony and Abby was lying on top of Gibbs, they were all covered by a blanket. Tony and Ziva were fighting and Abby and Gibbs were trying to make sense of what was happening.
"Who are the two NCIS personnel that faked their deaths?" Abby whispered.
"I don't know, Abs," Gibbs replied.
"How did our deaths get faked?"
"I don't know."
"Do you know anything about what's going on?!" Abby whispered a bit more loudly. Gibbs wanted to yell at her, but he could tell she was scared.
"It's going to be alright," Gibbs said attempting to calm her.
"No. No, it's not. We just left everyone! Everyone!" Abby said on the verge of tears.
"It'll be fine, Abs," he kissed her forehead, "I'm not going to let anything bad happen." Abby nodded. They pulled into Vance's driveway and they went into his house. They sat on his couch. Vance told them to stay put and he went and got Ducky and Tim. They all sat around the living room, so Vance could make his announcement.
"So, I have already told you all where you will be staying on a farm in Oklahoma, where you all will be living as a family. Your files should say who you are," Vance said, as they all flipped through their files, "Jethro, Ducky, you are brothers. Ducky you are going to be living with Jethro, his wife, and their five children."
"Who is the fifth child?" Abby asked.
"You."
"No, I mean who is the other one?"
"And who is the mother?" Ziva asked.
"You will find out," Vance said, "Now…I will take you three at a time to the farm. There you will meet the other former NCIS personnel, who have had their deaths faked as well. Jethro, Ziva, and Abby, my car now." They did as told. They sat in the back instead of lying down. Vance put a small cardboard box in front of them.
"Do not look in it yet," Vance commanded, "They're pictures for the house. If people come by for any reason, they need to be certain that you are a real family." They nodded. Vance got into the front seat and began to drive. Gibbs was sitting against the left part of the car with Abby on his right and Ziva on his left. The girls looked scared. Gibbs put his arms around them.
"It's alright girls," he said. Ziva nodded sadly and Abby just let out a sigh and rested her head on his shoulder. After a second Ziva did the same thing.
"I'm scared," Abby whispered.
"Me, too," Ziva whispered back. Gibbs held them close.
"So, were going to live on a farm?" Ziva asked. Gibbs nodded. Ziva groaned, "I'm not really a farming person."
"I'm going to need A LOT of sun block," Abby said, causing Ziva to laugh and Gibbs to smirk. "I never farmed before. I hunted, though."
"You? I cannot believe you would hunt." Ziva asked.
"I only did it once. This one summer, when I was nine…I went to visit my uncle. He lived down in the swampy area of Louisiana…well, anyways he took me…croc hunting."
"Crocodile hunting?" Ziva was laughing hysterically, "You can't be serious."
"It was terrible! My uncle was all like, 'Go on and shoot it!' I couldn't do it, but I knew I had to. So, I went to shoot one huge one…and I fell into the water." Ziva gasped and Gibbs looked at her.
"What did you do?" Ziva asked concerned.
"My uncle pulled me out and I never went crocodile hunting again. I am severely afraid of crocodiles and sharks." Ziva shook her head and Gibbs kind of held her a little tighter, but he wouldn't admit it.
"So…Gibbs," Abby said, "Are you afraid of any types of animals or reptiles or…anything?"
"No. I'm not afraid of any animals," Gibbs replied.
"What about you Ziva?"
"Well," Ziva said, "I wouldn't want to run into any sharks or bears, but I wouldn't say I'm scared."
"Gibbs, something must scare you," Abby said. Gibbs shook his head.
"How much longer, until we get there?" Ziva asked.
"Like two days," Abby said. Ziva groaned.
Two hours later Ziva was asleep, Gibbs was tired, and Abby was wide awake, staring into space. Gibbs noticed how scared she was.
"Abs," Gibbs whispered, "It's going to be fine."
"Yeah. I know from the first fifty times you said it," Abby said rudely, then she softened up, "Sorry."
"It's alright. I know you're scared," Gibbs said.
"Scared? I am terrified! We will probably live on the run for the rest of our lives…from somebody we don't even know."
"I know, but at least we're alive." Abby nodded. "Why don't you get some rest?" She did as told and drifted off to sleep. Gibbs stayed awake for a little longer, then he fell asleep.
Two days later they made to the farm around six in the morning. Ziva was the first to walk into the house and what she saw scared her and hurt her. Abby walked and what she saw upset her. She couldn't move or talk. The woman walked over to them and hugged them. The girls cried on her shoulder.
"I missed you girls," the woman said, who was now crying. Then a younger woman ran over to Abby. Abby was crying hard now.
"Hey, Abs," the younger woman said, smiling through tears. Then Gibbs walked in. The two women ran over to him and held him tightly.
"Gibbs!" they exclaimed.
"Jenny?" Gibbs said stunned, "Kate?"