Family Ties
By: Sandreline
Alright guys, check this out. In honor of my favorite TV show NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, I have decided to let my muse go crazy. NCIS is only the most amazing TV show on the air right now. By the way, I am sure I am not the only one with a crush on Michael Weatherly and slightly on Mark Harmon? Ha-ha. Ok, here it is:
I am putting myself in the show. This is my version.
That's right. See, I have been in modeling and theatre since I was five years old, and I have always dreamed of getting even something small as a cameo or walk-on role in one of my favorite shows. Well, when I first began watching NCIS, I realized that I could totally rule at a role on this show – I would fit in perfectly and not even have to act! Ha-ha.
So, to sooth my own pride, I have decided to write this story.
Don't worry; I will not have it centered on me. I am a minor character. After this chapter when I introduce my character, there will be less of me. And I will update my other stories quickly, I assure you.
I am staying true to this story, so there will be Tiva and McAbby.
So, here we go! Please let me know what you think!
PS – FBI director Tristan is made up.
If you guys want to know what I look like, I have a new photo on my profile! That will hopefully help with picturing the story as if you were watching it – that is what I do when I read fics. If you can't see it, visit my facebook page – which is also the link for my homepage on my profile: facebook dot com /ladymoonknight
Sandreline: Sand-reh-leen
Sandry: Sand-ree
I do not own NCIS! I really wish I did. I also do not own Playboy. (Small reference.)
Chapter 1: New Kid on the Block… is NCIS Family?
"I can't believe how late I am!" The young woman cried out in frustration. She felt like hitting her head on her steering wheel. "What is with this traffic? Why is it whenever there is a terrible accident, everyone just has to stop and stare, thus causing this madness?" The twenty-two year old woman let out a sigh.
A deep bark from the back of her truck caused her to jump slightly. Her black Newfoundland was sitting behind her, having moved her head back inside the vehicle to voice her impatience about why she was not being fed at this moment.
"I know, I know!" The young woman told her dog. "This is our street up here."
Sure enough, the dark brown haired woman turned her red Ridgeline onto Terrance Street. A few seconds later found her pulling into the garage of a new single story house. Giving a cry of relief said woman looked outside to see her roommate's car parked out front, with one tire going flat. "I warned him to get that nail taken out…" She muttered to herself. Letting her dog inside and carrying her file from work, she walked into her house.
Sandreline Rhinehart walked right into her dog. She was about to verbally question her pup about what it was doing just standing there when she noticed what her dog was doing. The giant bear-wannabe had her head lowered and ears up, and her lips were curled back in a growl. She was facing the north part of the house which contained only the office, second bathroom, and her roommate Nate's bedroom.
A familiar stench filled the air, one that she did not care to smell in her home. She set her file on the ground silently. Moving the jacket of her suit aside, she reached for the gun in her holster. Pulling it out, she switched off the safety. "Nate? I'm home. Are you here?" She called out, making sure to keep her voice neutral.
No answer came her way. Her dog stayed where she was, and since she was not growling the young woman knew that currently there were no intruders. "Any plans for dinner?" She called out again, taking the corner gun first.
She could see clearly into the office that she and Nate shared, as well as the second bathroom that belonged to Nate. Taking the last corner would place her in view of Nate's bedroom.
She took a deep breath and, gun first, took the corner.
Insert NCIS music introduction.
Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo walked out of the elevator to his desk at NCIS headquarters. To his surprise, Ziva and Tim were already at their desks typing away. "Did I Mc-miss something, McGeek?"
"You DiNozzo-did." Timothy answered.
"Whoa, that reply came out of left field. Nicely played, Probie." The tall man spoke as he sat at his desk.
"If you must know," Ziva interjected, "Gibbs is not in the best of moods today."
"Actually, I was going to say that he is spitting fire." McGee mumbled.
"Is it true?" Abby spoke as she rushed over to them from out of nowhere.
All three team members looked at each other before turning to the forensic scientist. "Is what true, Abby?" Ziva asked.
"That the Director sent a secondary team to investigate a murder last night!" Abby told them.
"Why would the Director not send us, Sciuto?" Tony asked.
"Because Gibbs has a personal connection with the victim!" Abby told them.
The three looked at each other again, before all of them jumped out from behind their desks to meet Abby in the middle of the bull pen. "Tell us everything you know." They all said at the same time.
"No need."
All four turned to find Director Leon Vance of NCIS walking down the stairs with a very irritated Special Agents Gibbs in tow. "Your team was not sent out on my order. Rest assured that the case is being transferred over to you all now."
"What was the personal connection?" Timothy asked.
"I would assume that is me."
All six turned to find a young woman standing beside Ziva's desk. She wore a black skirt suit with a red under shirt. Her long, dark brown hair was slightly curled and reached down to her lower back. Her blue eyes surveyed the members before her on the floor before turning to the two standing on the staircase. A small smile stretched its way across her lips as her gaze landed on the former gunnery sergeant. "Hi, Uncle Gibbs."
Insert NCIS: 'swoop' and black-and-white freeze frame on Gibb's face.
"Did she say 'Uncle Gibbs'?" Timothy whispered as the lead agent in question continued down the stairs and walked around to them.
"She said 'uncle'." Ziva answered with a small head tilt.
"I think I just had a heart attack." Anthony muttered as he watched his boss envelope the younger woman into a hug.
"Are you alright?" Gibbs asked as he stepped back. He held the younger woman at shoulder distance as he looked in her eyes.
"I am fine, I promise." She told him with a small smile.
A deep bark sounded out, and DiNozzo and McGee jumped. "Where the hell did Smokey the Bear come from?" Anthony cried out.
"My apologies, this is my dog Emmy." The young woman said as she stepped forward to the group, motioning to the black beast beside her. "You must be Agent DiNozzo." She smiled, and then surveyed the rest of the group. With a warm smile, she spoke again. "Agent David, McGee, and Abby. It is a pleasure to finally meet you all. I am Special Agent Sandreline Rhinehart." She extended her hand toward the group.
Abby smiled brightly and pulled her into a hug. "So you're the famous niece that Gibbs is so proud of!"
Ziva, Timothy, and Tony exchanged glances of confusion. How had Abby heard of this woman and they had not?
"Special Agent Rhinehart, welcome to NCIS." Leon Vance spoke, having come to join them. "I am sorry to hear what happened. I promise you that we will do all we can to get this resolved and keep you safe."
"Director Vance." Sandreline smiled softly, a professional smile in place. "It is an honor to meet you. Thank you so much for your concern, but I promise I do not need protection."
"Sandry." Gibbs' voice warned.
"Everyone, let's meet in the conference room. We can brief you on the situation there." Director Vance spoke.
Gibbs wrapped one arm around his niece's shoulders and led her towards the stairs, the giant black dog following. The rest of the team exchanged glances one last time before almost tripping over each other to follow after them.
Once in the conference room, the Director took a seat at the head of the table. Gibbs moved his niece to the right of the director, pulling out her chair for her. The dog-bear stood by her side until Sandry used a few hand motions, and the dog lay down on the ground resting its giant head on its outstretched paws. DiNozzo quickly swooped in to take the seat beside the mystery woman, but a glare from Gibbs stopped him. Instead, Ziva smirked proudly and took the seat that had been Tony's goal, forcing the pouting smart-mouth to sit beside Ziva. Gibbs sat facing his niece, and McGee and Abby sat beside him.
"Maybe you should start with a little bit about yourself, Agent Rhinehart. Otherwise, I think my team here might burst with curiosity." Vance spoke with a mix of irritation and amusement in his voice.
The young woman glanced to her Uncle, who nodded slightly. She smiled brightly. "Sandreline Rhinehart, age 22. I graduated from high school at age 16, and joined the USMC; sniper." She smirked to her Uncle. "I did training and then intelligence work until I was eighteen, and then was sent out for missions in Italy and Japan. Two years ago, I was offered a job with the FBI and my own team." She stated.
"The dog?" Anthony asked with a raised eyebrow.
"She is not a house pet if that is what you are thinking, Agent DiNozzo. Emmy is my partner. She is trained in protection, narcotics detection, and water rescue. Of course, I also take her to the children's hospital to do therapy work. The kids love her, and she loves to be spoiled by them." The young woman stated.
"Why are you in need of protection, Agent Rhinehart?" Ziva asked while getting to the point.
Sandreline smiled. "Please, call me Sandry." She told the other woman. "I feel like I have known all of you for years." Sandreline looked down to the table, her blue eyes darkening. "I was running late getting home last night. I had to stop at the grocery story, and there was a car accident that caused a lot of traffic. I own a house in Avalon Park, and one of my best friends rents a room. His name is Agent Nathanael Banks, a fellow FBI agent. We have been friends since basic training in USMC."
Everyone in the room could tell them the woman was becoming upset, but she was doing a very good job at controlling herself. "When I got home, I noticed that Emmy was at alert, and staring with her teeth showing towards Nate's room. I could smell blood." She took a slow breath. "Because of the way she was acting, I took out my gun and investigated. I found Nate in his room… on the floor. The carpet was soaked with blood, and it was splattered on the walls. It was like Pink Mist."
"As in the Pink Mist that snipers refer to as the mist of blood that sprays out of the head from a clean shot." Abby confirmed.
"Was there anything else?" McGee asked.
Sandreline was silent for a moment. "A message was written in blood on the wall." She looked up into the expecting eyes of her uncle. "It said, 'Since you aren't home, your friend will do. For now.'."
Gibbs leaned back in his seat, a cross expression in his eyes but not conveyed on the rest of his face.
"Is there anyone who would want you dead?" Anthony asked.
"I have done a lot of big cases for the FBI." Sandreline answered. "I have gone after Mob bosses and locked away terrorists. I am sure that many of them hold vendettas against me."
"So young." Ziva stated as a fact.
"That is why I am used for such investigations. Who would look at me and think that a short, young woman like me is a top FBI agent?" Sandreline asked. "Though I am sure you have done the same, Ziva." She winked at the former Moss ad agent, who smirked in reply.
"That's true. I wouldn't think you are an agent." DiNozzo stated. "Ow." He muttered as Ziva and Abby both kicked him from under the table.
"Agent Rhinehart, I hope you do not mind helping out your Uncle and his team in this investigation." Director Vance spoke.
"In any way I can, Director." She answered. "I will have to alert my team at the FBI about the situation, and let them know that I will be taking an absence."
"Already done." Leon stated. "Though the FBI did stress how they wanted to cover the investigation of the murder of one of their own. It took a while for your own Director to understand that you and Agent Banks were Marines first, and that your Uncle was hard pressed to get this case closed quickly. As long as you work with us, they will allow us to handle the murder."
"I bet Fornell wasn't please with that." DiNozzo muttered.
"Fornell is my old boss." Sandry smirked.
"This really is a small world after all." DiNozzo sang.
"We can get her set up in a safe house with a rotation of agents." McGee spoke up.
"No, she stays with me." Gibbs corrected.
"Or she stays with you, boss." McGee continued.
"All the information from the crime scene has already been sent to each of you." Director Vance told his best team. "We have a dead marine that was killed to get at another marine they want dead. Let's get this wrapped up quickly."
"Sir." The team stated, all of them standing up.
Gibbs remained in his seat, and upon catching his eye Sandreline remained as well. The Director shoved the rest of the members out of them room before closing the door behind him.
It was silent. The only sound that could be heard was the breathing of the large dog that was beside Sandreline.
"Are you alright?" Gibbs' calm voice spoke out. His tone told her that he would not tolerate a lie to appease his worry. She knew that he knew when she would try.
"I am not sure." Sandry admitted after a moment. "I saw my best friend in a pool of his own blood, in my own house." She leaned forward over the table, her head in her hands. "It's my fault he is dead."
Gibbs let out a half sigh, moving to walk around the table to take his wife's niece in his arms. He rubbed her back gently, letting her take comfort in his presence as she did when she was a child. "It will be ok, Sandry. I will find the killer and put them away for good."
Sandreline pulled away to look at her Uncle's face with teary eyes. "No, Uncle Gibbs. We are going to do this. I owe it to Nate."
Gibbs looked down into the young woman's eyes, so much like Shannon's own. Sandreline's parents had died when she was a small child in a car accident, and Shannon was her aunt and godmother. Her innocent and easily amused ways had caused Gibbs to love her as if he was her own, right there with Kelly. After Shannon and Kelly passed away, the two of them grieved and supported each other. She was his anchor, the only reason that Leroy did not completely lose it. The fact that she had lost first her parents and then two years later her aunt and cousin yet she remained strong helped him stay sane. His wife's niece took on many of Gibbs' traits, including his military prowess. She was his joy. "We will do it." He told her with a nod.
Sandreline smiled brightly and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tight. "I've missed you." She told him.
"Me too, baby girl." He answered.
Emmy barked, feeling left out.
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"Nice house." Tony stated as he looked at the photos up on the screen. "Big kitchen with gas stove and state-of-the-art appliances with black granite counters, large tile covering the whole house except for the bedrooms. Oh, is that a Playboy?" Tony's eyes squinted at the picture of the living room, focusing on the magazines on the coffee table. "McGeek, enlarge!" Timothy ignored Tony.
"I cannot believe that Gibbs has a niece! Why have we never heard of her?" Ziva asked from her desk. "She is obviously very close to him."
"She's pretty cute, too. Nice blue eyes." DiNozzo added over his shoulder.
"Do you want Gibbs to kill you, Tony?" Timothy asked as he read the files sent to him at his own desk.
"He can't hear me." DiNozzo added.
"Guess again." Gibbs spoke as he swept passed them, but not before smacking Tony upside the head. Sandry and her dog were right behind him, a smirk playing on the FBI agent's face as she moved to stand behind her uncle's desk.
"What have we got?" Gibbs asked.
"According to the team that searched the scene, Agent Banks wasn't able to put up a fight. His gun was holstered and hung up in the office that he and Agent Rhinehart share at her residence. Even if he did have his gun, evidence points to the fact that Agent Banks did not know what was coming." McGee spoke up.
"According to Ducky's report so far, Agent Banks was attacked from behind, suffering from blunt trauma to the back of the head." Ziva added. "No murder weapon was found, though Ducky believes it could have been something as simple as a bat. Ducky believes it stunned him. He theorized that when Agent Banks turned around to face his assailant that is when he was shot. Six slugs. He is doing the autopsy right now and will let us know when he is finished."
"Hired thugs?" Tony supplied. "Abby is already working on the slugs."
"The way my house is set up, the only way to get into Nate's room is by the small hallway." Sandreline input. "He would have known someone else was there because he would have seen them coming."
"Maybe the killer was hiding in the closet?" Tony asked. "You know, the trick-or-treat routine?"
"Did they do prints on the closet doors?" Gibbs asked.
"No." McGee answered with a wary voice. "The investigative team did sweep the bedroom door but only found those of Agent Banks."
"Then we need to get them. Grab your gear." Sandreline spoke, pushing herself up off the cubicle wall she was leaning against. Gibbs' team froze. She was like a female version of the boss.
"Where do you think you are going?" Gibbs asked.
"To my house." Sandreline answered.
"Family fight." Tony whispered to Ziva. "Twenty on Gibbs."
"You're on." Ziva nodded.
"You are not going back for awhile. Whoever did this knows your schedule, and could still be staking out your house." Gibbs stated as he rose from his desk to stare down his niece.
"I'm not going alone." She stated. "Besides, I am a trained agent!"
"You are going to stay here." Gibbs told her while trying not to lose his temper.
"That's my house, Uncle! I do not want strangers inside without my supervision, even if they do work for you."Sandreline pointed out. She lowered her eyes into a glare. "Rule #15." She stated.
Ziva, McGee, and DiNozzo watched with bated breath as the two stared each other down. After a few moments, Gibbs turned to grab his gun from his drawer. "Grab your gear." He told his team.
Sandreline smiled brightly as she followed her Uncle, her dog beside her. Team Gibbs wasted a moment as they tried to get over their shock before they followed as well. As Tony passed Ziva, she held out her hand with an expectant smirk. Tony sighed and passed her the twenty dollar bill before entering the elevator. Rule number fifteen: Always work as a team. Gibbs' niece was good.
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"This is a nice place." Ziva stated to Sandry as they entered the premises.
"Thank you, Ziva. Though I think I will be moving soon…" Sandreline said with a sigh. "I've only been here four months. I hate packing." She mumbled.
"Hate it all you want, it's happening." Gibbs muttered. He expertly led the way to Agent Banks room, Tony and Timothy following. Ziva was led around the rest of the house by Sandreline to see if they could find the still unknown point of entry.
"I'm going to be lucky if I can even own my own place that is not within a block of him…" Sandry muttered to Ziva.
"He is just looking out for you." Ziva spoke.
"I know." The younger woman replied. "But since Aunty Shannon and Kelly died, he has made it his mission to keep me from even getting a paper cut. I'm surprised he let me join the Marines." She paused for a moment. "He's never mentioned me to you, has he?"
The former Moss ad agent shook her head as she examined the door frame that lead from the large kitchen they currently stood in to the backyard. "No, he has not. Though I am sure that you of all people know how private he is." The Israeli woman looked over at the blue eyes agent. "But you knew about us."
"Uncle Gibbs frequently tells me about all of you." Sandreline turned to look at Ziva. "I must admit I am a bit intimidated by you."
Ziva raised an eyebrow as she smirked. "You give quite the impression yourself."
A sparkle lit their locked gazes. "Perhaps we could go one-on-one sometime?" Sandry inquired.
"Hand-to-hand, or with guns?" The tan female furthered.
"Why not both?"
Ziva knew then that she had a friend after her own heart.
On the other side of the house in Agent Banks room, Timothy was inspecting the sliding closet doors. Gibbs was on the other side of the hall looking through the office. "Why do you think Abby had heard of Gibbs' niece and we haven't?" Tony asked.
"Probably because he wanted to protect her from you." Came the reply as the other agent snapped photos of the metal handle. McGee moved to grab a screwdriver to pop it out of the slot it was held in to send it to Abby to run for fingerprints.
"There is nothing wrong with being friendly, McCrabby." DiNozzo added while taking a picture of the bloody message on the wall.
"I don't think the Boss would like your kind of 'friendly' on his niece." McGee added while placing the closet handle in a plastic bag and then in his pack after labeling it. "But Abby has stayed over at Gibb's place a few times. Maybe that is how."
"I do have some questions to ask her though." The senior agent remarked as he looked over the frame of the bedroom window. "Get some answers about what it is like to be related to the boss, how he treats her, why he hid his hot niece from us or the fact that she had such an impressive resume."
"Quit while you're behind, DiNozzo." Gibbs stated as he walked back in.
"Can't help it boss." Tony answered.
"Try." Came the one word reply. "Got anything?"
"I found some freshly smudged fingerprints on the handle. I already bagged them and will give them to Abby as soon as we get back." Timothy answered.
"The bedroom window is untouched." Tony added. "I am sticking to my 'trick-or-treat out of the closet' theory."
"Gibbs, we got something!" Ziva called from the other end of the house.
Gibbs did not hesitate to go after them, leaving McGee and DiNozzo to continue looking through Nathan Banks' room. He found Ziva and his niece in Sandry's master bedroom. "What is it, Ziver?"
"One of the screens of her bedroom window has recently been popped out." Ziva told him.
"Why didn't the other investigative team find this?" Gibbs asked.
"Probably did not think to look at anything other than the locks." Ziva answered. "Look, you can see here it is bent from being placed back in, most likely in a hurry."
Gibbs looked out the window, clearly able to see the entire side of the house on the corner. "Where the neighbors interviewed?" Gibbs asked.
"My closest ones, yes." Sandreline answered her uncle. "That house belongs to Greg and his wife Melinda. They are on the Home Owner's Association board. Their daughter may have seen something; she is usually leaving the house at the time the attack took place."
"Ziva, take McGee and go find out if you can interview their daughter. Sandry, I want you to stay inside here with me and DiNozzo." He ordered.
"Yes boss." Ziva answered.
"Ah ha!" Tony cried out. Everyone turned to look at him expectantly. "It was a Playboy!" Sandreline rolled her eyes. "A woman I can understand." Tony purred out, before noticing the warning glare sent by Gibbs. "I'm going to go… investigate this part of the house… way over here."
"Good idea." Gibbs told him. Then he turned to the still shell-shocked McGee and smirking Ziva. "Neighbors. Go."
Sandreline did her best to not crack up laughing.
Insert NCIS 'swoosh' and black-and-white freeze frame on Sandry and Gibbs in the basement working on the boat.
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The elevator ding signaled through Abby's lab. Gibbs walked out of the elevator with the usual 'Caf-Pow' in hand as Abby's traditional music filled his ears. However, when he arrived, he found a smirking Abby standing beside an innocently smiling Sandry. "You're getting slow, boss man." Abby remarked. "She beat you by a full ten seconds."
Gibbs didn't remark and simply put the apparent extra Caf-Pow – Abby's Rule #11 - in her fridge before walking over to the gothic woman. "Whaddya got, Abs?" He asked.
"An ID on the slugs found in Agent Banks body." She answered, typing on her keyboard before pulling the information up. "The gun is registered under the Federal Bureau of Investigation."
"What?" Sandreline asked in disbelief, moving around the table to look at the screen closer.
"I am still waiting for a match for fingerprints." The forensic scientist added.
"Sandry…" Gibbs started.
"Already on it." She stated. "I'll go to MTAC and contact my director." She nodded to Abby before making her way out.
"Anything else?" Gibbs asked Abby.
"Um, yes." Abby stated with hesitation. "I was able to lift and match fingerprints off of the closet handle that McGee brought me. There were more than just Banks' prints." She paused. "The database identified Pete Rossi." She clicked her mouse a few times, and a new image came up on the screen. It was a Rhode Island driver's license, with a picture of a blonde, blued eyed man. "Pete Rossi, age twenty five. He attended Brown University to major in Police Science after serving two tours in Afghanistan."
"Where is he now?" Gibbs asked.
"That's the thing, Gibbs. He's an FBI agent; or was, in any case." Abby shifted on one booted foot to the other while pursing her red lips together. "He was fired from the FBI after a sexual harassment charge was filed and investigated, and a restraining order was filed on him. No one knows where he is." She shifted again. "McGee is running phone records and credit card statements."
"Who filed the complaint?" Gibbs asked.
Abby was silent, shifting on her feet again. Gibbs turned his attention away from the screen to look at her. "Abs?"
A sigh escaped her mouth before she clicked her mouse again. A copy of the harassment charge came up, with one name popping out in bold.
Gibbs growled before storming out of the lab.
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"I am glad to see that you are well, Sandry." FBI Director Lee Tristan stated once they were finally connected. "What can I do for you?"
"Thank you, Director." Sandry stated, standing while facing the screen. "NCIS forensic scientist Ms. Sciuto was able to match the slugs that murdered Agent Nathanael Banks as a gun that was registered to the FBI."
"Who is it registered to?" The middle aged man asked as his brown eyes hardening with business. "Have they already crossed referenced the ID codes to the serial numbers in our system?"
"She is still running-"
The slamming of the MTAC door interrupted them. Sandry jumped slightly and turned to see her uncle all but stomping down the ramp. "Hello Director Tristan."
"You must be Agent Gibbs." Lee stated. "Your reputation precedes you. Seven Meritorious Civilian Awards is quite impressive."
"Tell me about Pete Rossi." He stated, ignoring the flattery and getting straight to the point.
Sandreline stiffened; she was now fully aware of whom the waves of rage rolling off of her Uncle Leroy were directed at; it would seem Abby ID's the gun.
Lee Tristan sat back in his seat and folded his hands. His eyes shifted from the clearly enraged gunnery sergeant to his now shamed-faced Team Lead. "Rhinehart, am I to understand that you did not inform your uncle of the situation from last year?"
"No, Director." Sandry's voice was tight with tension.
"Which you should have done!" Gibbs snapped. Sandreline looked away, and Gibbs turned his attention back to the screen. "I would like a short version of what happened."
The FBI Director nodded. "Some members of Rhinehart's team began to come to me anonymously with concerns. Rossi was a team lead in homicide. It would seem that after working a case with your niece, he became infatuated. However, Agent Rhinehart declined his attentions. As I am sure you are aware, she is smart and not the type to date Rossi's sort."
"And just what is Rossi's sort?" Gibbs asked.
"A bit of a player. He had a horrid habit of womanizing and as any respectable woman would, Sandreline turned him down." He nodded. "However, it would seem Rossi did not handle the rejection well. He continued to send her flowers to her desk and home. Rhinehart's team became worried about the attention, and we launched an investigation. When Rossi began to become more… forceful, a restraining order was placed and he was fired from the Bureau." Tristan gave a sigh.
Gibbs turned on his niece. "Why did you not tell me?" He asked as his voice became much calmer than it was before.
"Perhaps because I am a Marine Sniper and an FBI agent, Uncle." Sandreline stated with an equally calm voice.
Gibbs turned to the Director. "We have Rossi's fingerprints lifted from the crime scene."
Tristan nodded. "We will send over his personnel file to Director Vance right now." He turned his attention to his agent. "Be safe, Sandry." The feed ended.
Gibbs turned to his niece, who refused to meet his eyes. Her uncle walked passed her, leaving Sandry alone in MTAC.
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Gibbs took a sip of bourbon from a coffee mug while taking a break from drilling the portholes into the boat. The door opened and a giant black dog came flopping down, followed by her somber owner.
Gibbs took another sip, knowing that his niece would talk when she was ready. It was a trait that she had gotten from him.
The young woman walked over to the boat and ran her hands over the wood, before picking up the sanding block. She began to move it with the grain of the wood, slowly sanding away.
Leroy stood and went to do the same, beginning on the opposite side of the boat. The Newfoundland walked over to him, nudging his legs with her mouth in an attempt to get him to throw the ball that she had apparently been holding in her mouth. He simply pat her head and continued sanding.
"I'm sorry."
Blue eyes lifted to meet blue.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Uncle. But the situation was under control." She told him.
"Apparently not. He murdered Nate." Gibbs answered with his usual tone to emphasize his point. "He wants to murder you."
"I don't understand why he would want to kill me." She complied.
"Do you understand why he killed Nate?" The NCIS agent in him asked.
"He thought that Nate and I were involved. Which is stupid; anyone could tell that Nate was not only nothing more than a brother to me, he was also obviously gay." She lowered her forehead to her arm while closing her eyes in an attempt to stop the tears.
Gibbs stood up and walked over to her, taking her in his arms and holding her to him as she cried. "You should have told me, but you also shouldn't apologize for doing what you think was right; it's a weakness."
Sandreline couldn't help but smirk. "I think it's even a Rule."
Insert NCIS 'swoop' and a black and white freeze-frame.
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SO...what do you all think for chapter one?
After this chapter there is less of me. But since it is the first chapter, I felt you needed to know the background information and so on.
Please let me know what you think! I REALLY hope I managed to do a good job keeping the NCIS team in character.
And if any of you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know!
Thank you all so much for your support, and taking the time to read this!
~Sandreline