Title: Semper Fi

Author: Wilde Phyre

Pairing(s): N/A

Rating: PG13

Summary: A serial killer is on the loose, leaving a trail of dead marines in his wake. Gibb's team set out to investigate, with a new agent amoung their ranks, and Tony learns that not everything can be taken for granted.

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the NCIS series. I am only borrowing the characters and torturing them a bit .

Warning: May contain spoilers of certain episodes

Authors Note: My very first NCIS fanfic, so please me nice. This chapter is really more of a prologue, to set the scene. Constructive critisim is welcome, but flamers beware!!! READ and REVIEW!!!!!!

Chapter 1

The persistent ringing of the phone stirred Gibbs from his silent reverie. Extremely irritated, he picked up the handset. "Gibbs" he answered shortly.

"Hey Gibbs, nice to hear you sounding so cheerful for once." Came the teasing voice on the other side of the line. "It's Rhys here."

"I know," he said, still annoyed by the untimely interruption. The computer screen in front of him glowed eerily as it systematically searched through its databases. "Do you make a habit of calling other people at this uncivilised hour?"

"Only when it's you, Gibbs. Do the words 'office hours' mean anything to you?"

"I don't have time to make small talk with you Rhys, what do you want?" he replied curtly.

"Blunt and straight to the point. I like that."

"Rhys.....," Gibbs said, the threat hanging unspoken between them.

"I'm calling to ask if my desk and badge are still waiting for me."

"You took too long to make up your mind. The position that I offered you two years ago has already been filled. Your 'desk' has been given to another agent."

"Then get another one," came the reply. "You have until Monday." The phone went dead in Gibbs' ear.

Too stunned to be angered by the self-confident words, a lazy grin slowly spread across Gibbs' face as he replaced the receiver. "I knew there was a reason I liked her." he thought.

"Hey DiNozzo," Gibbs said, walking in with his morning coffee. "Did Rhys get in touch with you last night?"

"Yeah boss." Tony answered distractedly, not taking his eyes off the tiny Gameboy held in his hands, only moments away from erasing McGee's name from the high scores. Gibbs reached over and grabbed the game from him, before throwing it into the wastepaper bin.

"I find you playing with that thing again tomorrow and I'll tell the people down in finance we won't be needing that new desk after all."

"Won't happen again boss," Tony said, holding both his hands up in mock surrender and flashing his trademark million-dollar grin. "It's McGee's."

Abby looked up from the conversation she was having with Kate and shot Tony a dirty before turning to look at Gibbs. "So what Tony has been saying is true then? Rhys has finally decided to turn in her G-man badge and join us, over on the dark side? Awesome!" she exclaimed, her black pigtails bobbing enthusiastically.

"When's her flight coming in, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, ignoring Abby's excited outburst.

"Tomorrow night at about eight. I'm picking her up from the airport."

Gibbs nodded his approval, taking another sip of the pitch-black brew from the Styrofoam cup in his hands. "She found a place to stay yet?"

"Are you offering, boss?" Tony asked jokingly, but immediately dropped his grin when he caught sight of the glare Gibbs was directing at him. "She staying with me for while." he said, clearing his throat.

"Your apartment only has one bed." Kate pointed out skeptically. "You sure she wants to stay at your place?"

"Let's just say, we go way back."

"So who is this Rhys anyway?" Kate asked between mouthfuls of her tuna sandwich. She and Abby were having lunch together, seated on a bench in the park nearby. "Gibbs seems to really like her."

"Oh yeah." Abby said, nodding her head. "Gibbs absolutely adores her. He offered her a job 'round the same time he offered a job for Tony, but she never accepted. The three of them worked on a joint jurisdiction case over in Baltimore. Couldn't stop talking about her for weeks afterwards."

"Why, what did she do? Shoot one of his ex-wives for him or something?" Kate joked.

"Close enough." Abby replied with a shrug. "She shot Gibbs."

Kate stared at her in open-mouthed wonder. "Are you sure he wasn't muttering curses and plotting revenge?"

"No, it was all good stuff. Apparently, there was like a miscommunication or something between NCIS, the feds and Baltimore PD and somehow Gibbs got taken hostage. Rhys shot Gibbs to get him out of the way. Nothing serious of course, but sure scared the hell out of the perp."

"Wow." Kate said, blinking her eyes in total amazement. "So that's how you get on Gibbs' good side huh? Never figured him to be the masochistic type," she added with a smirk.

"You'll totally like Rhys," Abby continued. "She's cool. Ducky and I met her when she came to visit Tony around Christmas last year. She pitched in on the case when we found a frozen marine in a city pond."

"Visit Tony? So she and Tony are dating or something? Is that why she's staying at his place?" she asked, slightly surprised.

"Hardly." Abby replied. "They've been best friends since they were like five or something. Apparently, they lived next door to each other and then went to high school and college together. Tony swears that it's a purely 'platonic' relationship, but between you and me? I so don't believe him. She's too much of his type."

"And what type would that be?" Kate asked with a smile. "Anything with two legs and a head?"

"An ex-cheerleader."

"Gibbs was shot by a cheerleader?" Kate asked incredulously.

"And here I was, thinking that I'd heard it all."

"You'll be surprised." Abby replied, grinning.

TBC.

PLEASE REVIEW TO KEEP THIS FANFIC ALIVE!!!