I tapped my foot with impatience, I'm really not in the mood for this today. "Come on, Tony! If we are late Gibbs is going to scalp us and hang them in his basement like a trophy!" I shouted at Tony from the front door of our house. Tony wouldn't wake up this morning when the alarm went off so that leaves me standing here, all ready to go, waiting for him to throw on some clothes. "I will leave without you if you aren't here in the next sixty seconds!" I called again, my patience starting to run short.

Tony rolled his eyes as he emerged from the bedroom fully dressed, "What's got your sexy black silk thong in such a twist this morning? You only get that specific when you're mad. I know for a fact that it isn't your time of the month, besides I always make sure that we get there on time, and when we don't I tack on thirty minutes at the end of the day for every minute we're late to make up for it." he smugly reminded me of his system as he followed me to the car.

I got into the driver's seat, maybe driving to work will make me a little less edgy about today, I need something to focus on. I really do not want to stay late at work today, I want to be home as soon as I can. I didn't even want to go in for that matter! I have my own investigation to pursue, the same one that I pursue every Labor Day.

We were supposed to have today off, but we have a case that we are working on and that changed everything much to my displeasure. If it had been any other day it would have been fine, I love my job- but this is the one day of year that I do not want to work. "It's just that I was really counting on having today day off, so let's just get there and get the day over with." I sighed as I put the pedal to the floor.

Tony's stare bore into me, but I kept my eyes on the road. With the mood that I am in right now the last thing we need is an accident, and the fact that we are driving Tony's classic car, which is his baby, doesn't help the situation. I am the only one other than himself that he will let drive it, so I know better to let an accident happen in this vehicle. "Aria, I know you, I can read your face. What's going on?" he asked letting the silliness and mockery leaved his voice and become soft and serious wanting to know what's got me into such a foul mood.

A tear started to form in my eye, but I blinked so it would go away, but that just brought more tears. "I just hate this day. This day has always proven to be the worst day of my life time and time again. I always take off of work today, I haven't left the house on Labor Day in years." I explained trying to keep my voice as even as possible. Just thinking about what has happened on this day makes me sick to my stomach, that's why I couldn't eat breakfast this morning.

I felt him place a hand on my knee. "What makes Labor Day so bad? What happened on this day that makes you hate it so much?" I could hear the investigator in him when he asked me this. I can understand this, we've know each other for almost three years now, and we've been married for two years. When we got married we agreed that there wasn't going to be any secrets kept between us, but some things I figured time would tell.

I felt around for the glove box so that I could get a tissue. I opened it with my free hand and felt around for them. Tony easily picked them up and put one in my hand. "Thank you." I told him as I dabbed at my eyes, "I will tell you, I promise, but for right now, let's get to work and make sure Gibbs knows we're there. We can pull one of our famous disappearing acts for a few minutes." I assured him that I would tell him, but I don't want Gibbs up my ass for being late. It isn't uncommon for Tony and I to disappear for a few minutes during the day. Sometimes, we kiss, sometimes we talk, sometimes we go get something to eat, it's just a good way to get away from a case for just a few minutes so that we can get a clear head on the subject.

He seemed to be happy with my answer, "Okay, but I'm holding you to that you know." he replied as we pulled into the Navy yard and to Tony's personal parking space next to the door, right next to Director Shepard's space. He special requested even before I came to work at NCIS. I still find this hilarious, he is such a kiss up. That's one of the things I love about him though.

When we got out of the car Tony wrapped his arm around me and held me in a tight embrace as we walked to the squad room. Tony let go of me as we walked out of the elevator so we could go to our desks. "Gear up, dead girl on base." Gibbs told us as he walked past us to the elevator with McGee at his heels.

Tony and I quickly grabbed our gear and hurried after them so we could catch the elevator before the doors closed. Tony and I shared a look saying that we would have our talk later, but right now was not the time. In the elevator, I rested my head on Tony's shoulder with a sigh. I'm thinking that I'm going to be having a big bowl of ice cream for lunch, well that is if I can manage to actually eat anything today. I know that I couldn't stomach any breakfast this morning. This might just be a day where I don't eat...

When we got into the van so we could drive to the crime scene, my phone started ringing, it's Spencer. Why is she calling me so early? I guess she's being typical caffeinated Spencer and can't sleep. "Special Agent Aria DiNozzo." I answered so that Gibbs wouldn't know that I'm making a social call, well knowingly make a social call. I'm pretty sure that he doesn't understand caller ID yet to know that I know who I'm answering the call to.

"I've been calling your house phone for the last ten minutes. Where are you?" she asked skipping the greeting formalities of a phone call wanting to know why I'm not answering my land line.

Even though she can't see it, I rolled my eyes at her. "I'm at work, working." I replied, I really don't need this right now. I would love to talk to the girls, just not right now. I don't want to be working when I do eventually talk to them today. I was hoping to video chat with them on my computer during my lunch break.

"You're working? Why on earth are you working today? You never work on Labor Day! Are you okay?" she asked in surprise that I'm even out of bed let alone at work.

I huffed in frustration, "Spencer, we have a case, henceforth, I am working. Whether or not I'm fine is beside the point." I said a little too harshly. I'm not trying to be mean, but my temper is short today and I am not in the mood for any of this. I really don't want to be around people right now!

"Aria. You know better then to work on Labor Day! All any of us do on Labor Day is sit down with a big bowl of ice cream, look through old photo albums and newspaper articles, and talk to each other all day.." she felt the need to remind me of our unspoken tradition. If I could do all of that stuff today, then I would, but I can't. I have to work today for the first time since I finished school and I'm just going to have to suck it up.

Tears threatened to break the surface again, I have got to get off of the phone, like, now. I'll be damned if I let them see me cry this early in the morning. "Spencer, I will do all of that before midnight tonight, okay? I'm not forgetting about her. Now please, I have got to get back to work now. If you need to talk to someone, call Emily. She is always awake by now." I told her and hung up the phone before she got a chance to reply.

The three boys in the van were silent, and all but Gibbs were staring at me. I'm pretty sure Gibbs would be too but he is driving. "Are you okay, Aria?" Gibbs asked me, being the only one daring to speak knowing the mood that I'm in at the moment. Gibbs isn't afraid of anything though, which is good; but it's also good that Tony and McGee know to be afraid of me when I'm in a mood, or any other time for that matter.

I wiped the tears in my eyes with my sleeves, "Yeah, I'm fine." I lied, speaking a little too quickly. I can't just say, 'no I'm about to have a breakdown' that would create a whole new set of problems for me. I don't want a hundred questions or having to spend the day explaining why I loath Labor Day. I'm just going to have to fake it until I make it I guess.

We pulled into the driveway of the house where the crime scene is. "You're usually better at lying. Remember Rule 7: Always be specific when you lie. I know you wanted today off, but a murder thinks differently." he commented as he got out of the vehicle and made his way to the back yard without looking back. I know this, I just don't give a damn at the moment.

McGee followed after Gibbs wanting to make sure he put some space between us so I can cool off. Tony held me behind for a moment so he could talk to me, "Are you sure you'll be okay to work today? I'm sure that we could find something to convince Gibbs that you should go home." he asked with concern filling his voice and his features. I don't really cry anymore, so seeing me cry is a pretty big shock to him.

I nodded my head and gave him a hug, where he planted a kiss on the top of my head. "I think I'll be fine." I replied. We made our way to the backyard together where the crime scene is waiting for us. Holding Tony's hand made me feel just a little bit better, maybe today won't be so bad after all.

… Or maybe it will. It's a good thing that the camera strap was around my neck because when I walked into the back yard I dropped both my camera and Tony's hand. I then let out an involuntary scream as I processed my surroundings. I know this back yard all too well. It haunts my nightmares almost every night, it has for years now. What the hell is it doing here? I momentarily lost the ability to move at the sight of all of this.

Tony stood shocked behind me as to why I screamed, "Aria? Aria? Aria!" he tried to get my attention, to try to get me to come back to reality, but all I could see was police cars, reporters, a crowd of people, an ambulance, and a team of medical examiners that were loading up a dead body. I felt myself sink to my knees letting them slam onto the hard ground and my butt fall hard onto the back of my heels. Why did I decide to wear high heels today?

Tony started shaking me so he could get my attention but I didn't feel it, all I saw was the girls around me, I felt a sob rip through my chest. "Damn it, Aria! Talk to me!" Tony all but yelled in my ear as he continued to shake me to bring me out of this horrible memory.

I finally remembered where I was and what I was doing, so I ignored Tony, McGee, Gibbs, and the pain shooting through my legs. I quickly walked over to the body. My stomach did a backflip when I saw the teenage girl. She looked about fifteen, she had blonde hair, a yellow tank top, and jeans. My mind flashed back again to the barn at Spencer's house.

We were passing around a cup, happily drinking and spilling all of our secrets. "Friends share secrets, that's what makes us close." she had said as we laughed and continued to drink until we fell asleep. Then I saw Spencer calling for Alison, us realizing that she had gone missing, and the calling of the police. I feel lightheaded.

Gibbs grabbed my shoulders to make sure that I didn't fall over, and to made me face him. "Aria, what the hell is going on?" he yelled at me to bring me back to reality and for me to explain my strange behavior. I'm sure to someone who never knew about the murder of a fifteen year old girl in Rosewood, Pennsylvania wouldn't understand what I'm going through at the moment.

I blinked a few times, clearing my eyes of the tears that had accumulated. I saw the concerned faces of Gibbs, McGee, Tony, and Ducky with Palmer who must have shown up sometime in the last few minutes. "I've seen this before. All of this. When I was in high school my best friend went missing on Labor day, exactly one year later on that day her body was found in her backyard. This yard looks exactly like hers, every single detail of it. This girl fits Ali's general description, and is wearing the exact outfit that Ali wore when she died." I explained as my entire body shook in terror.

Tony took one of my hands, "Are you sure?" he asked in a very careful voice. He knows that I've been a little crazy today, even before I walked into this yard so he wanted to make sure that I wasn't just seeing things or something. With the reaction I had I can't say that I blame him.

I violently shook my head to reassure them that I knew what I was talking about. "I am positive that this backyard looks exactly the same as Alison's did when her body was found. This backyard has haunted me every night since then. I wouldn't be surprised that if you check her cell phone that there is a message from an unknown caller and signed by -A." I told them remembering the hell that I went through in high school.

McGee took photos of the phone in the girls hand, then Ducky picked it up and handed it to him. "One unread message. 'I'm still here bitches and I know everything.' It's signed by an -A." McGee confirmed as he bagged and tagged the phone.

Gibbs made me look at him again, "How did you know that there would be that message on her phone?" his voice wasn't accusatory, but more of concerned about my reaction to all of this and the fact that I was predicting things about the crime scene that none of us had seen yet.

More sobs ripped through my chest, it's a good thing that Gibbs is keeping me up because I would have fallen a long time ago. "Because I was harassed by -A all through high school. It started with that message at Alison's funeral." I informed him, I flashed back once more to right after her funeral. The beeps of our phones, the confusion we felt, then the terror when Officer Wilden came to talk to us.

I felt myself go limp in Gibbs' arms, but there wasn't anything that I could do about it. "Aria!" I heard as everything went black. Then I felt as if I relived all of the pain and harassment of the wrath of -A. I don't think that I could handle that happening to me again. Luckily, I'm on team Gibbs now which means that I've got some hope that we can figure out who is doing this.

A/N Hello lovely readers! Thank you so much for clicking on this story!

To those of you that have followed my stories in the past know that I took about a year break from publishing on here. I apologize for my absence on here, but it's because I've been working on this story and a few others (along with being a full time student and working!) I have to admit, I'm a little nervous publishing again after so long, but I am so excited to share this story with all of you.

I hope that you enjoy this story, and there is more to come - stay tuned! Oh, and don't forget to review :)

Love you guys,

xoxo ~ TotalCowGirl