AN: -gets shot'd by the people who are reading her neglected multifics- Yeah, I know, I suck monkey balls... BUT... I became a fan of NCIS a couple of months back, and yesterday I had this really awesome dream, and so I have to write this. To be honest, I think it kind of sucks, yet I don't think I did so bad. It's just this chapter for now, but if people actually like it, I'll continue it. Personally, it's fun to write what Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva do and say...
This is my first shot at an NCIS fic. Yes, I know, the new charrie I threw in here is kind of bitchy, but she winds down soon. Besides, I honestly can't blame her.
Since I have a tendency to make LONG ANs, I'm going to shut my bleeper and present to you... Part 1 of Deleted Episode: Hide and Seek. (Yes, named after Imogen Heap's song.)
Disclaimer: I don't really care for these... but I think I have to in this case... DO I OWN NCIS? Maybe I will when I reach the end of the rainbow. DO I OWN "HIDE AND SEEK"? Pfft, ask yourself this: CAN THIS WEIRD CHICK WRITING THE FIC POSSIBLY HAVE THE TALENT TO MAKE SOMETHING EVEN REMOTELY RELATED TO IMOGEN HEAP'S LYRICS? The answer is obviously no.
Once upon a time, a Marine went missing. Shocking news, yes?
It happened to take place in Washington, DC.
The NCIS were called upon to investigate this. Even more astonishing.
The case just happened to lead them to a door of a lone house in the middle of the woods.
Gibbs paused before rapping his fist on said door, his piercing blue eyes analyzing the paint peeling away, the cracks embedded into the old wood. The porch he and his agents were standing upon was dusty, the boards untrustworthy as they rattled beneath the visitors' feet. Surely this wasn't exactly a safe enviroment to live in, especially when alone in the middle of... the woods?
In all honesty, part of him didn't want to do this. And yet he really did. He needed to.
Why?
The answer opened the door.
"Can I help you?" the girl asked warily, glancing from Gibbs to the silent people behind him. She was a teenager, looked about sixteen. Gibbs knew she was actually fifteen, with a brother who just turned seven. They didn't have a mother, and their father.
Steeling himself, he met the teen's brown eyes, trying to read her expression. It was almost impossible to see what she was thinking.
"Samantha Reed?"
"Yeah."
"I'm Special Agent Gibbs. These are my agents, David and DiNozzo," he introduced briefly, stepping aside to let the girl see who was who. "Your father's Kyle Reed? A Marine?"
There was an unmistakable flash of fear on Samantha's young face. "Yes. What about him?"
"He was reported missing today when he didn't show up at his base three days ago. I don't suppose you can help us out here?" Gibbs asked cautiously, getting straight to the point.
"N-No... I haven't seen him since he left..."
Somehow Gibbs knew this would be the answer. "Over the past year, there was a shooting and two explosions..." he started. "I've read that you were shot at by an enemy of your father's..."
"Yeah, he missed, and the FBI got him," Samantha replied shortly.
The older agent looked at her closely, not missing the way the girl was leaning on the door frame, her body blocking any entrance as she kept her hand on the knob.
"We understand that Kyle has many enemies," a woman spoke up from behind him. Gibbs didn't say anything as Ziva continued: "Until our teammates find him, we have been sent here to protect you." She glanced sideways at her partner, who murmured his agreement rather cheerfully.
The door mysteriously edged closer to the point of being slammed in the agents' face. "Th-There's really no point," stuttered Samantha. "Just find my dad... Don't waste your time in protecting us."
"Sam, your dad isn't the only target here," the man standing next to Ziva pointed out. "And like my partner here just said, we have teammates back in D.C. working on finding him."
"Sorry, you can't call me Sam," the teenager retorted icily, ignoring the surprised looks on the adults' faces. "I can just take my brother and head over to a friend's."
"No can do," Gibbs said firmly. "That'll be putting more people in danger. We're staying here."
Before a reply could be made, a small voice from behind Samantha spoke up. "Sister, what's going on?"
"Go back to eating your--" She was cut off as Gibbs planted his hand on the door and swung it wide open, revealing a short, thin boy with sandy-blonde hair sticking every which way, his eyes wide and scared as he stared up at the intidimating man in the doorway.
Samantha stood defiantly in front of the aforementioned man. "You can't come in," she said irritably. "Leave us alone."
"Is this about Daddy?" the boy asked, coming up and clinging to his older sister's sweatpants.
"He's gone at the moment, but these cops are going to find him," Samantha said, the edge to her voice dropping as the girl placed a hand on the boy's head.
"Special Agents, ma'am," Tony corrected, earning a jab in the ribs by Ziva.
With a sigh, Gibbs took another step forward, watching the fear mounting in Samantha's face, and watching as the boy hid behind his sister. "It's our job to stay here and offer protection."
"We have protection." As if on cue, there was a barking from somewhere in the house. Gibbs was about to say, "I'm sure your dog can shield you from flying bullets but not exactly grenades," but decided that wasn't such a good idea. Gently yet firmly he placed his hands on Samantha's stiff shoulders, noting the scrawniness in her limbs, and moved her aside. "We're staying," he said matter-of-factly.
"Boss, you might want to be careful; that dog could eat you..." Tony trailed off as Gibbs gave him a glare. "Sorry."
"Are you scared, Special Agent DiNozzo?" Ziva teased, her dark eyes gleaming in the dimness of the house as they all stepped inside, every one of them ignoring the indignation on Samantha's face.
Closing his ears to his agents, Gibbs kneeled down by Samantha, meeting the big gray eyes of the boy hiding behind a pair of legs. "Hi," he greeted, his normally gruff voice kind for once. "What's your name, bud?" He already knew, but it didn't hurt to ask, especially when the poor thing seemed terrified of the adults in his house.
"K-K-Kyle, J-Jr...." he stammered.
"Kyle, Jr.. That's a nice name."
"Er... Th... Thanks... What's, um, yours...?"
"Special Agent Gibbs." The older man took out his badge and held it up for the child to see. "Do you want to hold it?"
Tentatively Kyle reached out and took it gingerly, examining it in awe. "Is your name really... Sp-Sp... Spekal Agent?"
As Kyle let go of his sister, Samantha moved away, keeping close to her little brother, but staring outside the tiny window nearby.
Briefly glancing out of the corner of his eye at her, Gibbs chuckled at Kyle. He felt the urge to tussle the boy's already messy hair, but his gut told him not to. "No," he said gently, not bothering to correct him by saying 'Special.' "That's what I'm called at work. My real name is Leroy Jethro Gibbs."
Kyle looked confused as he gave the badge back. "That's... a weird name..." His blue eyes widened in sudden terror. "I-I'm sorry! Pl-Please don't h-h-hit me for saying that!"
Furrowing his brow, Leroy was just about to ask why the hell he'd hit the poor scrap for that, when Samantha darted over and scooped up her sibling in her arms. "Kyle, don't ever say that," she scolded, kissing the teary-eyed child's forehead. "These people aren't like that. Now, let's go get you into the bath." She narrowed her eyes as Gibbs straightened up to his full height, silently demanding him not to say anything.
The corner of his lip twitched. 'What balls. Reminds me of Kate,' he thought, almost wistful, as he eyed Kyle burying his nose into Samantha's tussled chestnut-brown hair. But he didn't make a sound.
"Tony, might I ask what the hell you are doing?" Ziva's voice drifted from the hallway nearby.
"Easy, Zeevah, I'm just looking for the-- Oh, no. Back away slowly..." Tony's answer was followed by a low growling.
"See, this is why you do not go wandering around a house you do not live in, especially when there is a dog!"
Rolling his eyes, Gibbs gave the mutinous Samantha a semi-apologetic glance before striding past the patchy couch and turning the corner -- very slowly. "Tony, you idiot, what did you do now?"
"Boss, the dog just came out of nowhere!"
"That really defends your idiocy," Ziva hissed, take a few steps back, quietly and lightly.
"Just let me handle this," her partner assured, still in the middle of the hallway. Gibbs could see the bulky body of a rottweiler, baring its fangs at DiNozzo. "I'm a guy, the dog's a guy, it's a guy thing. We can talk this out."
Once more Gibbs rolled his eyes. "Damn it, DiNozzo, how about you stay still and shut up? Sam!" he barked. "Can you keep your dog from attacking the moron?"
"I'm hurt, Boss..."
Samantha hesitated, looking as though she would've rather let the agents get eaten by the ferocious animal, but nodded and put Kyle down on the couch before joining Gibbs. "I said don't call me Sam," she pointed out, but without waiting for an answer she stepped forward, this time next to Ziva. "Okay, Moron DiNozzo, if you twitch one muscle before I can even reach you, I'm leaving you as dog-food. So, you might want to stay put."
Gibbs exchanged an amused glance with Ziva over the girl's head. She had an attitude, alright.
Samantha nudged past Tony, accidentally or not accidentally stepping on the agent's foot along the way, causing the faintest hiss to come from his mouth. "Hey, there, Shadow," she cooed. The rottweiler relaxed a little, his black-and-brown fur laying flat on his back as he snuffled Sam's outstretched hand and gave it a lick. "Yeah, I don't like them either, but they have to stay with us for a while. You can handle that, can't you?" She stroked Shadow's broad head.
While Gibbs stared at the back of Sam's head in minor annoyance and Ziva merely had an amused expression on her face, Tony was off somewhere in the background, utterly relieved he didn't become the biggest dog treat ever made.
"Sit, Shadow," Samantha demanded, and the dog immediately obeyed, staying put as his owner stalked up to Tony. "I don't care if I'm a fifteen-year-old little girl to you cops or agents or whatever, but I swear if you go snooping around here without even bothering to ask me, again, I will be more than happy to sic my dog on you," she spat furiously.
Tony put up his hands as if in self-defense, not noticing Samantha flinch at the sudden movement. "I think I learned my lesson," he retorted.
"What were you doing, anyway?" Gibbs queried, irked, keeping one blue eye on the dog.
"He said he had to take a hose," Ziva added in her two cents. She blinked as all pairs of eyes were set on her. "What?"
"Hose?" Gibbs echoed.
"She meant 'whiz.' Where did 'hose' come from?" Tony asked incredulously.
"Like I have said before, your English is confusing," the young woman responded defensively, obviously trying to hide her embarrassment.
Gibbs nearly found this whole exchange funny, but as usual his lined face didn't show anything but exasperation and irritation. In the meantime, Samantha's face was twisted in total bewilderment as the teen went to retrieve her little brother, who sat dazedly on the couch.
As she quickly passed by, Tony asked hastily, "Can I use your bathroom first?"
"There are plenty of bushes outside. Maybe Shadow can show you where he takes his, er, whizzes," was the reply as a door up ahead slammed shut, leaving the agents to look at each other.
"Boss, do I have to stay here?" Tony asked almost imploringly, not sure he'd be able to handle the rebellious girl's attitude.
"Yes," Leroy replied simply. "Like she said, all you have to do is walk outside and head for a bush." He kept a straight face.
Ziva snickered as she took Tony's arm and pulled him towards the silent dog, who remained where Sam had left him. "Shadow would not mind escorting you, would he?"
"Ah-ha-ha, I don't think I'll ask him," came the tight reply. Shadow's eyes narrowed at Tony. A low rumbling growl came from deep within his belly. He barked once.
"I don't think you need to; he probably won't like it if you spray his territory," Gibbs remarked, turning away back to the living room.
At this, Ziva cracked up laughing, especially at the look on Tony's face, and followed her boss. "Shall I take a look around outside?" she ventured after calming down. She recieved a nod.
"Have fun, Zeevah. Watch out for the dog poop," her partner advised her smugly.
"You're going with her, DiNozzo."
Tony opened his mouth, then shut it. He twitched. Damn. "Right, boss."
After the front door had been shut, Leroy Jethro Gibbs stood in the middle of the living room and stared around. It stunk of beer in this sad, lonely haven. It was dim, which he didn't really mind.
With a grunt, Shadow jumped onto the lumpy couch and settled down, not really paying any more attention to the Special Agent.
"This is going to be a long stay," Gibbs mused. The only answer he got was a soft snort from Shadow.
Where are we?
What the hell, is going on?
The dust has only just, began to fall.
Crop circles in the carpet.
Sinking, feeling...