Something Wicked This Way Comes
Disclaimer: Don't own, just playing, yadda yadda
Chapter 2
"Probie!"
Tim flinched slightly as the sound of his partner's voice yanked him out of the mental zone he had been in after returning from Autopsy. He looked up to see Tony and Ziva approaching and the identical grins that his teammates wore caused him to smile. As he started to rise from his desk to greet them a flash of movement caught his eye and he turned to catch the sudden appearance of another presence, the sight of which caused him to freeze in horror.
Agent Pacci was standing on the other side of the divider behind Ziva's desk and his furious expression was fixed on the senior agent. As Tim watched, blood started to seep from the spirit's mouth and a gash appeared at its neck as its skin lost what little color it had. Knowing what he did about the agent's other wounds Tim was glad the lower half of Pacci's body was still hidden by the low wall in front of him. Unable to deal with what he was seeing, Tim squeezed his eyes shut and collapsed back in his chair, gripping the edges of his desk in order to keep himself upright.
"McGee!"
A moment later he felt a hand gently grip his arm. He managed to open his eyes and look up at the pair of worried faces leaning over him.
"Hi," he responded weakly as embarrassment colored his cheeks. Get a grip, Tim. You've got to learn to handle this…
"Are you alright?" Ziva asked and he gave her a shaky nod.
"You look like hell, Tim. What happened?" Tim was surprised by how serious Tony sounded.
"Nothing, Tony, I'm fine. I just got a little dizzy there for a moment."
"Should you even be here, McGee?"
Tim turned to see Gibbs standing in front of his desk, a rare look of concern on his face.
"Ducky cleared me for desk duty, Boss. I'm OK."
Gibbs studied Tim for a few moments as Tim tried desperately not to look at the horror standing just outside the bullpen. He glanced up at his teammates and saw the same disbelief in their expressions. Finally Gibbs broke his silence.
"If that changes you let me know. Clear?"
Tim took a deep breath and managed a more convincing – he hoped – smile.
"Yes, Boss."
Gibbs gave Tim one of his classic half-smiles. "Welcome back, McGee."
"Thanks, Boss."
Gibbs nodded and returned to his own desk. Tim chanced a look towards the elevators and saw that Pacci was gone, which prompted a soft sigh of relief. He looked up at Tony and Ziva again.
"Guys, please. I'm OK."
Tony still looked unconvinced but Ziva smiled and leaned down to give Tim a kiss on the cheek. "It is good to have you here with us, even if it is just for desk duty."
"It's good to be back, Ziva," he replied, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt, "Might take me some time to catch up on paperwork, though."
"I believe Tony took care of most of it for you." Ziva smirked at her partner.
"And unless you both want a lot more, I suggest you get started on your own work," interrupted Gibbs, which sent them scrambling to their own desks.
Tim tried to return his attention to the cold case he had been reviewing but he couldn't concentrate. He kept glancing over towards the area behind Ziva, hoping that he wouldn't see anything yet fearing that he might.
The team worked in silence for another hour before Gibbs left, presumably to go get coffee. Tony waited until the lead agent was out of sight before he stood and walked over to Tim's desk where he studied the younger man for a few moments. Tim tried to ignore him, but finally he raised his head and met Tony's gaze.
"What?"
"Spill, Probie. What's going on?"
"What do you mean?"
"You've been acting weird all morning. What gives?"
"Nothing. Just trying to get back on track… Back to normal."
"You'd let us know if anything wasn't normal…right?"
Tim's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he registered the apprehension in Tony's voice. Suddenly it struck him what his encounter with the bodarach had meant for his partner. Tony's relatively safe view of the world, where spirits and monsters were confined to the movie screen, had been shattered. No matter how much Tony wanted to forget that, he couldn't, at least not right now. Tim decided that revealing his new perception would prevent Tony from reclaiming some of the normalcy he wanted, and Tim didn't want his friend to have such a burden placed on him. Not if he could help it.
"I promise, Tony, I'm fine. It's not…like before. I just need a little time to adjust to being back, that's all."
Tony didn't look like he completely believed what Tim was saying, but Tim could see he wanted to believe it. Finally Tony grinned and Tim could see the relief in his eyes.
"OK, Probie. You get back up to speed, and then we decide."
"Decide what?"
"When we're going to have our match-up. You still owe me a game, remember?"
Tim managed a chuckle. He appreciated Tony's attempt to return to their usual banter. "Yeah, I remember. I'll let you know."
"You do that."
Tony went back to his desk and Tim chanced a glance in Ziva's direction. She was smiling at him, obviously happy to see that he was getting better and that the status quo was returning. He forced a smile in return before he let his gaze drift past her and sighed softly in relief when he saw the area behind her remained unoccupied. He returned his attention to his work, and eventually he was able to lose himself in the details of a cold case, where the monsters and motives were thankfully human.
XXX
Jimmy set the last of the pipettes he had cleaned in the storage container and sighed. The routine of the task had temporarily taken his mind off what had occurred earlier, but now he had time to ponder the significance of the situation. The first thing that popped into his mind brought a smile to his face.
I'm not alone. There's someone else like me here now.
His joy quickly faded when he realized he was wrong. McGee wasn't like him. He hadn't grown up knowing what Jimmy knew, seeing the things Jimmy had seen day in and day out, and McGee's new perception brought no familiarity, only terror.
But I can help him. I can show him that what we can do isn't all bad. I just hope he lets me.
He then recalled McGee's fear when the other man had learned that his new talent might be permanent. He also remembered how McGee had labeled what Jimmy was as a freak. Even though the agent had apologized, the label still stung a little. Maybe this wasn't going to be such a great thing after all. Maybe it would be better if they could find a way to return McGee to normal.
Or am I being selfish? After all, he was still pretty much in shock, and he's still recovering from almost dying, for Pete's sake! I can't expect him to be polite…
Jimmy sighed. He just hoped that tonight they would get some answers. He turned to start on his next task and came face to face with the one presence at NCIS that never failed to terrify him.
"A-agent Gibbs! What…you're here to see Dr. Mallard, of course. He's up in the Director's office, some budget thing, and…"
"Palmer. Tell me about McGee."
For a moment Jimmy felt like his heart had stopped.
No…no way, there's no way he knows…
"McGee?" Jimmy squeaked. "He…Dr. Mallard checked him over this morning and cleared him for desk duty." He managed a weak smile.
"Yeah, I know that, Palmer. I want to know why he wasn't cleared for field work."
"Dr. Mallard thought…well, he's being cautious, I guess."
"You're not asking my assistant to break doctor-patient privilege, are you, Jethro?" Ducky asked as he walked back into Autopsy, much to Jimmy's relief. He gave Jimmy a knowing look and Jimmy dipped his head slightly in acknowledgement of the unspoken command.
"I'll, uh, I'll go clean the truck," Jimmy stammered and made a hasty exit, but paused just outside the doors so he could hear what had bothered Agent Gibbs.
"Honestly, Jethro, you should be happy that Timothy has returned to work at all, considering the condition he was in just over a week ago."
"I know that. I want to know what's wrong with him now."
"What do you mean?"
"He's not acting like himself, Duck. He tried to pass it off as a dizzy spell, but I could tell he was lying. It's like…he's afraid of something, or someone."
Jimmy cringed. He had a pretty good idea what - and who - had frightened McGee.
"Timothy survived a rather traumatic experience. It's natural that there will be some lingering anxiety, but I believe that he will be able to work through it. He just needs some time."
Biting his lip to keep himself from laughing, Jimmy marveled at Dr. Mallard's ability to hide the truth of the situation with such an innocuous-sounding statement. He just hoped Agent Gibbs' uncanny ability to find the real truth wouldn't manifest, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Agent Gibbs' next statement.
"Alright, Duck. He'll get the time he needs." Jimmy could hear the implied "for now" and winced again. He needed to help Tim learn to deal with what he could see as soon as he could.
"Is there anything else?"
"No, but like I told McGee, if anything changes, you let me know…without breaking 'privilege'."
"Of course."
The sound of retreating footsteps brought some relief, which disappeared when Jimmy heard Agent Gibbs' voice again.
"That truck's not going to clean itself, Palmer."
Jimmy cautiously peeked around the corner in time to catch Agent Gibbs' smirk as he turned and headed for the elevator. Once the doors were safely closed, Jimmy stepped back into Autopsy to find Dr. Mallard looking at him with an amused expression on his face.
"Sorry."
"No need to apologize, Mr. Palmer." Dr. Mallard paused for a moment and then grinned. "Are you sure there's nothing I need to know about Jethro's rather unique abilities?"
Jimmy chuckled weakly. "Not that I know of, Dr. Mallard."
XXX
Much to Tim's relief the rest of the team did not get a call out and the remainder of the day passed in relative peace and quiet. Abby had come up to check on him and fuss over him several times, but otherwise things were as close to normal as desk duty got.
"Go home, people."
Tim glanced up at Gibbs, who was gathering up his belongings and then checked his watch. He was surprised to see that it was already past 7 PM. After Gibbs left, Tony and Ziva both approached Tim's desk.
"Are you up to going out for a drink, Tim?"
"Sorry guys, but I'm kind of tired. Raincheck?"
"Of course, McGee. We understand," Ziva replied. "Are you sure that you are alright to drive home?"
"I'm fine. I took the Metro, but I have a ride home. Jimmy already offered."
"Palmer? When did you…oh. This morning, when Ducky checked you over."
"Yeah."
"Are you sure you're OK, Probie?"
Tim chuckled. "I'm fine, Tony. Just tired. I'll see you both tomorrow, OK?"
Ziva patted his cheek and returned to her desk to grab her belongings. Tony watched Tim as he shut down his computer before he finally returned to his own desk and grabbed his stuff.
"See you tomorrow," Tim said as his teammates headed for the elevator. Both turned to check on him one more time before they stepped through the open doors. Tim let out a sigh of relief and made the journey down to Autopsy.
When the doors opened, Tim cautiously leaned in and let out another sigh of relief when he saw that Jimmy was alone. The younger man looked up and smiled when he saw Tim in the doorway.
"Ready to go?"
"Yeah. Gibbs let us leave fairly early. I guess even he gets tired of cold case reviews."
Both men froze, then checked over their respective shoulders for the lead agent's presence, and smiled sheepishly when they saw they were still alone.
"Let me go get changed and then we can go. I'll be right back." Jimmy hurried out and Tim closed his eyes, not wanting to see if he would get company. A few minutes later he heard Jimmy's voice.
"All set."
Tim opened his eyes and followed Jimmy out to his car. He remained silent until they were out on the highway and he turned to Jimmy.
"How do you deal with it? Seeing the things you can see."
"I guess I'm just used to it. They really don't bother me anymore. Well, most of the time."
Tim shook his head. "And you've managed to keep it a secret. None of us even had a clue."
"Well, that's self-preservation. Most people won't accept someone like me." Tim saw a flash of embarrassment cross Jimmy's face. "And it wasn't that I didn't trust all of you, but…I've seen what can happen to people who, uh, go against the norm."
"I'm sorry."
"Ancient history. Don't worry about it."
Something in Jimmy's expression told Tim that there was more to it than that, but he decided that if Jimmy wanted to tell him, he would. In the mean time…
"Where are we going?"
Jimmy blushed slightly. "We're going to see my mother and…a family friend. If anybody can figure this out, they can."
"So your mother, is she, uh, like you?"
"Everyone in my family is 'like me'."
"And the friend?"
He nodded, and again Tim got the impression that there was more that Jimmy wasn't saying. He just hoped that these people would be able to help.
Nearly an hour later, Jimmy parked the car in front of an older but well maintained Cape-Cod style house. Tim followed him up the sidewalk to the front door and waited as Jimmy rang the bell. Soon Tim heard the sound of approaching footsteps from within the house and the door opened to reveal a middle-aged woman with dark hair and hazel eyes. She smiled when she saw them.
"Jimmy, you made it. I was starting to get worried." She briefly hugged Jimmy and then turned to Tim. "And this must be Agent McGee." She studied him for a brief moment and an odd look crossed her face before her smile returned. "Come in." She stepped back and opened the door further, allowing them entrance to the foyer. "I hope you're hungry."
"Always," said Jimmy with a grin as he moved deeper into the house. Tim hesitated and she gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"It's OK, Agent McGee. We don't bite."
He smiled weakly. "Thank you Mrs. Palmer. And you can call me Tim."
"I'm Evelyn. Follow me, Tim." He did as she instructed and she led him to a large, cheerfully decorated kitchen, where Jimmy waited with another woman who was seated at the kitchen counter. As soon as she saw Tim she hopped off her stool and walked up to him. Before he could react she grabbed his chin and forced him to look directly at her. Tim's eyes widened when he realized that there was something strange about her eyes. The irises were very dark brown and blended with the blackness of her pupils, but there was a very faint silvery sheen over them, giving them an almost ghostly look. They stared at each other for a few moments before she finally released him and stepped back with a thoughtful expression.
"Interesting."
Evelyn rolled her eyes and sighed. "Despite first appearances, she doesn't bite, either. Tim McGee, meet Louisa Ryder."
The dark-eyed woman grinned, revealing very white teeth. "Call me Lou. You're the one that was attacked by the bodarach, right?"
Tim managed a shaky nod before replying. "And you're the one told Jimmy and Ziva how to get rid of it. Thank you."
"All in a day's work." She turned to Evelyn. "I'm starved, Ev. When do we eat?"
Evelyn laughed. "Dinner's ready. You can make yourself useful and help me carry everything to the table."
Tim glanced at Jimmy, who was watching the exchange rather nervously, and the younger man just shook his head. Lou noticed and grinned.
"Eat first, talk later. Things look much bleaker on an empty stomach, you know."
Both men nodded and started to help move the various dishes to the dining room table. As he worked, Tim noticed that both Jimmy and Evelyn both had the same strange sheen over their eyes, barely visible unless he was almost eye to eye with them. He wondered if this was the visible evidence that separated them all from the "normals".
Once they were all seated and the dishes had been passed, they settled in to eat. The food was good, Tim noticed, but he couldn't truly appreciate it. He was more concerned with the promised after-dinner conversation. Finally, as Evelyn served dessert Jimmy broke his silence.
"OK. I think its time we got this settled." He glanced at his mother and Lou and both women nodded. Jimmy took a deep breath. "Alright. Like I told you on the phone, McGee…uh, Tim has been seeing entities. Today was the first day he noticed it, and uh, well, we were wondering…"
"Why he's suddenly joined the ranks of the Seers," Lou finished and Jimmy nodded.
"Seers?"
"Those who have what is sometimes known as 'second sight'," Evelyn replied. "They are people who can see spirits and other supernatural beings, although not all of them."
"Like the bodarach?"
"Yes."
"You should be glad you couldn't see that one," Lou added and Jimmy nodded with a shudder.
"But why am I seeing spirits now?"
"Well, you know, when you go through a traumatic experience, it kind of alters your perception," Lou replied with a grin and both Jimmy and Evelyn groaned.
"The Frighteners, Lou? Really?" Evelyn shook her head and Lou chuckled.
"Sorry, I thought we needed a little levity, here." Her expression grew serious. "But it's not a bad summary. It only holds true for certain people, though. Not everyone." She turned to fully face Tim. "I'm going to make a few educated guesses here. When you were a kid, you had at least one, maybe several 'imaginary friends', right?"
Tim felt a slight twinge of fear in his stomach but he tried to brush it off. "Well, yeah, but don't most kids?"
"True, but this imaginary playmate only showed up in a certain place, maybe even at a certain time of day, but nowhere else. Your parents told you your playmate didn't exist, that you'd grow out of it, but the playmate didn't leave even as you got older. Eventually the playmate did something that terrified you, or maybe one of your parents got very angry that you wouldn't let go of the fantasy and punished you severely for it. So much so that you forced yourself not to see it anymore."
Tim felt the blood drain from his face as he stared down at his hands. "My mother. She was really freaked out, and begged my father to talk some sense into me. My father didn't deal with what he called my 'childhood nonsense' well, and…yeah. I kept seeing my 'playmate' even though my mother and father insisted he wasn't real, and…it took a long time but eventually I stopped seeing him." He looked up at Lou. "His name was Henry. I'd only see him on my way home from school. He wasn't imaginary, was he?"
"Nope. And I suspect deep down your mother knew that."
"How?"
Lou sighed. "Because she was like you: a Denier."
"A what?" Jimmy asked, sounding almost as freaked out as Tim felt.
"A Denier is someone who has Seer blood, but no family background in understanding it," Evelyn explained. "They're never taught that what we see is natural, and should be accepted, so they repress those abilities to the point where they disappear, although they may still remember their experiences. Unfortunately they can still pass the talent on to their offspring, but usually just one of them. Those children then go through the same thing, convinced or forced into repressing their talents, until…"
"Until they come in physical contact with an entity. When that happens, the talent is re-awakened, and this time there's no repressing it."
"Wait, why haven't I heard of these people before?"
"They're rare, Jimmy. Even rarer than Seers. I've only met two others. Tim makes three." Lou turned to Tim and smiled. "Welcome to the club, kid."
Tim barely heard her welcome as he focused on an earlier statement.
"You said this…ability, there's no repressing it? Does that mean it's permanent?"
"Yes."
"So I'll keep seeing…"
"Yes. But don't worry. You'll get used to it," Evelyn assured him as she shot Lou a warning look. "Once you learn to tell the difference between the dead and the living—"
"-you'll be able to control your reaction. You won't blow your cover." Lou gave him a knowing wink, but Tim was not mollified.
"But I…we deal with violent death all the time. If I'm going to be seeing these people, you know, afterward…"
"Not necessarily. Not all violent deaths produce spirits." She glanced at Jimmy and he nodded.
"In all the death scenes I've worked, I've only seen a few. They don't usually stick around long, either."
"And the ones that do?"
"Like I told you before, most of them can't hurt you. Sure, they can look scary, but you'll learn to take it in stride."
"Even when they show up in the middle of the bullpen?"
Jimmy sighed. "Agent Pacci is one of the worst ones, I'll admit, but he doesn't appear…like that too often." A thoughtful look crossed Jimmy's face. "You know, you can try talking to him, ask him not to do that. Sometimes they listen to reason."
"And how exactly am I supposed to do that without calling attention to myself?"
"I can help. You can pretend you're talking to me…or something."
"Right. OK." Tim tried to keep the hysteria out of his voice. "But what if more show up, for whatever reason? Then what?"
"You deal with it," Evelyn answered and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's not the end of the world, Tim."
"I know. I'm sorry. It's just…I never even believed in ghosts, and now—"
"Seeing is believing," Lou added. "Which brings us to the next issue: how to tell the difference."
"With some, it's easy," said Jimmy, obviously happy to be able to contribute. "With others, you have to pay attention to the shadows and reflections. Spirits don't have either."
"I guess that makes sense. But what if there's a situation where I couldn't see those anyway?"
"In the dark or low light, you'll be able to see a little bit of a 'glow' around the edges of the image. Sometimes you can also see a transparency. You just have to learn to recognize it, that's all."
"And if you need help, or practice, just let me know," said Lou. "I'd be happy to show you some tricks."
Tim noticed the warning look Evelyn gave Lou, but decided not to ask right then.
"Thanks."
Lou smiled. "And now I think that's enough for one day. You've had a lot dumped in your lap, Tim. You're going to need some time to adjust. But when you're ready…"
"There's a lot more to learn, and some of it is really cool," Jimmy added with a grin, which faltered when he caught his mother's glare. "But that can wait. Are you ready to head home?"
"We should help clean up…"
Evelyn shook her head. "That's OK, Tim. We can handle it. You should get some rest."
Tim managed a weak smile. "Thank you, for…everything."
"Our pleasure, Tim."
He accepted a hug from Evelyn and a pat on the back from Lou before he followed Jimmy out to his car. He barely registered Jimmy's attempts at conversation as he went over everything he had learned that evening, and his thoughts soon turned to his mother. He wondered what it had been like for her to face what she had seen alone, without help or support, and how much that had influenced how she dealt with everything…or didn't deal with it.
XXX
Evelyn watched Jimmy and Tim drive off before turning to Lou.
"There's something you didn't tell Tim."
"What makes you say that, Ev?"
Evelyn snorted softly. "Because I know you, Lou. I can tell when you're holding something back, as rare as that is. What is it?"
"It's nothing. Just a legend."
"You and I both know it's never 'just a legend'. What have you heard?"
Lou gave her friend a rueful smile. "Let's just say that if it's true, Tim's life is about to get a lot more interesting."
TBC…
And now the fun begins ;)