DISCLAIMER: I always forget to do this!! I do not own NCIS. Don P. Bellisario (the luckiest guy) does. However, if ever he doesn't want it, I will take it. What are the chances of that happening? Probably no higher than 0% so now that we know that'll never happen, we can get on with the story!
"McGee!"
"Yeah, Boss?"
"Anything?"
McGee shook his head.
"Ziva?"
"I traced Tony's phone-"
"And?"
"He was at the airport," Ziva stated. She watched as Gibbs stormed towards the elevator. "Should we come come with you?"
Looking back at his two remaining agents, Gibbs made a waving motion at them. "Hurry up! We have to catch him before he jumps on a flight."
"Uh, any idea where he's headed?" McGee asked. He got an angry glare from Gibbs. "Or I can just, uh, call the airport and find out which flight he bought a ticket for."
"Yeah, do that McGee."
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"Flight 52 to Indiana is now boarding. Please form an orderly line and have your tickets and passports out and ready for inspection. Thank you for choosing American Airlines for your flgiht!"
Tony heaved himself up from his chair and took a spot in the line. In front of him was a child who was smiling at him.
"Hi."
Smiling back, Tony said, "Hi."
"Are you flying alone?"
Tony nodded. "And yourself?"
"Yup. Since I was nine, I've flown by myself." He held out his hand. "The name's Adam."
Tony shook his hand. "Tony."
Adam's eyes flew to Tony's belt, where a piece of gold caught his eye. "Whoa, you're a cop?"
Looking down, Tony grabbed his badge and put it into his pocket. "Uh, yeah."
"Cool! You work in Indiana?"
Tony shook his head. "I'm from DC."
"Then why're you going to Indiana?"
Because I remember...Because they forgot, and no one should be forgotten like that...
"I have to visit a frieend."
"But you have no bags." Clearly the boy wasn't about to quit.
"It's just a quick trip," Toy explained. "In and out, you know?"
"No, not really." Adam handed his papers to the flight attendant and waited for Tony before boarding.
Tony flashed his papers at the lady, then continued to board with Adam.
"Usually, I stay at a place for a month, then I fly back to the other place," Adam said. "My parents are divorced."
"Oh." Tony let Adam take a window seat, and then took the aisle one.
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Gibbs cursed himself under his breath. Why on Earth did he allow Ziva to drive? Did he want to die? No! This was probably one of his worst ideas ever! In the ten minutes that they had been in the car, he had counted twenty barely-missed-accidents-just-waiting-to-happen that had been barely avoided by Ziva. She, on the other hand, didn't even seem to notice.
"Boss, Tony bought a two way ticket." McGee reported.
"Took you long enough, McGee."
"Well, the airport security never heard of NCIS and-"
"Where's he going?"
"Indiana and back."
Indiana? What the hell's in Indiana, DiNozzo? You're not even from there!
"Ziva, hurry it up!" Gibbs ordered. He caught the frightened look from McGee before the vehicle accelerated from fast to warp speed. All Gibbs could see and hear were the cars that Ziva maneuvered through, and the blaring of horns.
"Watch out, Ziva!" McGee shut his eyes tight, praying in the back seat. "You're gonna hit that truck!"
Ziva swerved into another lane, smiling as she did so. Looking over at her co-workers, she saw McGee's expression and Gibbs putting his hand over his heart. "Oh, come on! I missed him by at least three feet!"
"More like one!" Gibbs corrected. "There's the ramp that leads to the airport!"
"I know!" Ziva crossed over two lanes of traffic to get on the ramp, but she didn't reduce the speed of the car. "There's the airport."
"You have three minutes to get us there, Ziva."
"Don't encourage her, Boss!" McGee pleaded from the back.
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Tony had fallen asleep on the plane, or rather, he was trying to. The flight attendants had already checked everyone's seat belts and the plane was clear for take-off. Now all he had to do was wait.
"Hey." Adam poked his shoulder, and Tony opened his eyes.
"Hm?"
"What agency do you work for?"
"The Naval Criminal Investigative Service."
"That's a long title."
"It is."
"What do you guys do?"
"Well, we're a service that investigates naval crimes." Well duh, Tony! You just explained the agency using the title.
Adam laughed. "That's pretty straightforward."
"Mmhmm."
The plane pulled out of the terminal, heading for the runway.
"Hey Tony?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I ask you something?"
You've been doing so all this time, Kiddo. "Sure. What's up?"
"That agency--the Naval Criminal thingy--is that what NCIS stands for?"
Tony nodded. "Why?"
"There's a car driving towards the plane at full speed with 'NCIS' written on the side."
Tony flew to the window, searching outside for the car. He spotted it coming at the plane...is Ziva driving? Poor McGee and Gibbs! Oh crap! Gibbs... ...Well it's about time they remembered! And if this was the only way, then so be it!
"Do you know them? Is that your team?" Adam asked.
"Uh... ...no...must be another team." Leaning back into his chair, Tony closed his eyes and relaxed. Gibbs is gonna kill me...