A/N:This is a 5-chapter story written for the NFA WEE (White Elephant Exchange). The story was written for tigyr and here is the prompt: Gen…any season (except eight). Tim/Ducky…Ducky loves to tell his stories, when Tim is sick or wounded he learns to appreciate the stories and the wisdom contained within. It's not very long and has a lot of H/C. Hope you enjoy both the story itself and Ducky's many tales which come from my own research and my own interests.

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS, the characters of Tim and Ducky, the DC Metro...but I do own my soul. :) I'm not making any money off this story.

Not Words
by Enthusiastic Fish

Chapter 1

Tim ran for the train. Down the stairs as fast as he could without falling and cracking his head open. It wasn't that it was the last train. It was just that he didn't want to wait for the next one. He ran and heard the chime signaling that the doors would be closing. One last burst of speed and he got on just before they closed.

He panted hard, holding onto the bars. Then, he heard some clapping and he looked up. Ducky was sitting on one of the benches.

"Well done, Timothy," Ducky said with a grin. "Carl Lewis could not have run faster."

Tim laughed and bowed.

"Thanks, Ducky."

"Have a seat."

Tim walked over and sat beside the M.E., taking another deep breath and letting it out in a whoosh.

"Why the rush?"

"Just didn't want to miss the train. I've got out of the habit."

"Where is your car?"

Tim rolled his eyes. "I loaned it to Sarah. She came to town a couple of days ago...supposedly to visit me...but I don't think I've seen her since I picked her up from the airport...and loaned her my car."

"What a kind brother," Ducky said.

"I'm regretting it now...but I guess as long as she doesn't break it." Tim got his breath back finally and leaned back against the bench. "Still...I was hoping to see her once or twice on her visit."

"I'm sure you will...when you take her back to the airport."

Tim laughed. "What brings you to the Metro, Ducky? What happened to your car?"

"Oh, it's simply being looked over. With a classic car like mine, regular maintenance keeps it running. There was a slight backlog and so I am taking the train."

"But you don't live on this line, do you?"

"No. I am going to...see a friend."

Tim smiled. "What kind of friend, Ducky?"

Ducky tried to look severe but he finally smiled.

"Yes, if you must know, I am going on a date."

"Who with?" Tim asked.

"Your expression is positively DiNozzian, Timothy," Ducky said. "Or perhaps Abigailian. It does not suit you."

Tim flushed. "Sorry."

"Not at all, lad. We all have our moments of curiosity."

They chatted lightly as the train headed northward on the Red Line. When it arrived at the Silver Spring station and Tim didn't make a move to get off, Ducky looked at him in surprise.

"Is this not your stop?"

"Not today. I'm getting off at Forest Glen."

"Any particular reason?"

"Not really."

Ding-dong.

"The doors are closing."

Just before the doors closed, a group of four men hurried on. All of them were talking loudly with each other...and they seemed to be...perhaps a bit wired. Tim looked at Ducky in concern as the other riders began moving away from the group. They seemed to be talking about some unsavory activities and laughing loudly at everything they said. Then, the discussion started to get more vehement, more like a fight than good-natured (if noisy) ribbing between friends. Two of the men stood and started almost yelling at each other, the other two talking from their seats but no less loudly. The train kept moving, picking up speed and then, as the argument got louder, drowning out the announcer, they arrived at Forest Glen. Tim stood up just as one of the men was shoved by his companion.

He ran right into Tim, knocking them both to the floor.

"Hey! Get out of my way, man!" he shouted at Tim.

"I'm sorry. I didn't see you," Tim said, mostly because the guy was acting way too upset about a small accident. He seemed really wound up.

But the man wouldn't back off.

"I said get out of my way!"

"I'm just getting off the train," Tim said, his hands out to show himself to be unarmed. "Ducky, isn't this your stop, too?"

Ducky looked at him in surprise and Tim hoped he saw the warning. There was a flash of realization in his eyes and Ducky stood up.

"Oh, yes, of course. It is. I almost forgot."

He tried to get to the doors, but the man shoved him back down.

"No way, old man!" the man yelled at Ducky, forgetting Tim and leaning over him.

Tim hurried over and pulled the man away.

"Hey, leave him alone! Just let us off the train and we'll be out of your way!"

"Don't you touch me!" he shouted and before Tim was ready for it, the man pulled out a knife...and without hesitation stabbed him in the chest.

Tim was so shocked by the sudden turn of events that he didn't even feel anything at first. It was just a moment of surprise.

...and then his legs buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor of the train.

"Oh, man...you...you stabbed him! He's got a badge! He's a cop! You stabbed a cop, you idiot!"

Tim heard the voices and the sudden loud shouting and screaming, but he himself was just lying on the floor, trying to keep breathing through the pain was the now hitting him like a sledgehammer.

"This train doesn't move! No one move! Nobody!"

Tim tried to get up, but he couldn't. He realized that the blade was still sticking out of his chest on the right side. He moved his hand to pull it out, but then the man who had stabbed him was leaning over him.

"You after us, cop? Huh? You coming after us?"

"Not...a cop..." Tim gasped out.

"Yeah, right. I see your badge!"

"NCIS."

"He is telling the truth."

That was Ducky's voice.

"Shut up, old man!"

"He is telling the truth. We are both employees of NCIS. I am a medical examiner. He is an agent. We were heading home after work. Please, let me see if I can help him."

"NCIS...what's that?"

Ducky's voice was extremely patient considering the danger he was in.

"Naval Criminal Investigative Service. We investigate crimes within the U.S. Navy."

"So you are cops! Just the military!"

"Oh, man, what are we gonna do?"

"Let... everyone go," Tim said weakly. "Just... let them go. No one's dead...yet. No need to..."

"Not gonna happen, cop."

The man leaned over him again and searched him, taking his gun, his phone and his badge.

"Hey, I did not sign on for this!"

"You're in it just as deep as I am! You're not getting out of it now."

The argument continued and Tim shook with the pain.

"Hey, where do you think you're going, old man?"

"He is my friend. He is injured. Please, let me go and see if I can help him."

There was a moment of silence.

"Your cause will be better served if he lives."

Another moment.

"Fine. No funny stuff."

"No. Of course not."

Then, after a second or two, Ducky was leaning over him.

"Not...quite the evening you'd planned...huh, Ducky?" Tim asked.

"Definitely not."

"Hostages?"

"Yes. There are ten people on the other side of the car. They've already signaled elsewhere that the train is not to move."

"I guess I should have...missed this train."

Ducky laughed. "At present, I must say I agree. Just stay still. Let me see how bad it is."

"There's...a knife...sticking out of my chest, Ducky..." Tim said. "How much worse could it be?"

Ducky's expression was grave. "Much worse...particularly if they won't let you off the train. We're stuck here as long as they want us to be."