I Don't Own NCIS
Chapter 2
The little plush seal rest calmly on McGee's bed. The sun was making its lazy descent over DC, but all was not well. The young agent, who had drug his desk chair into his bedroom, now sat, elbows on knees, fists under chin, staring at the seal. Jethro's head peeked into the bedroom for the fifth time in the past hour, concerned eyes of the dog taking in his master's unmoving position. The man had remained there for a good portion of the afternoon. Staring. At a stuffed animal.
With shaking hands he reached blindly below him, his fingers finding the glass that had once held a few shots of whiskey. Now only a puddle remained, which sloshed bitterly down the agent's throat.
McGee grit his teeth, resuming the staring contest with the toy.
Who are you? There are no coincidences. Gibbs says there are no coincidences. There are no coincidences.
McGee's analytical mind had hashed out a pattern from the odd events of the day.
He had doubled over in the parking lot when Abby had said how she wanted to see the seals. That was where he had the first 'heartbreak' sensation. He'd felt it again (but maintained his composure) when Ziva had then asked to see the seals. Once they'd gotten outside, the feeling had consumed him. The logical decision would have been to remove himself from what was causing him angst. But I couldn't. I couldn't move. I couldn't leave.
Then, all the seals had stared at them. No, not them. Him. They stared at him. McGee picked up his glass, frowning at its vacancy. The one seal, a bit smaller than the others, had stared right in his eyes. Why did he notice that particular seal? They're just seals, right Tim? Right?
Then, something had caused them all, as one, to leave. They, all at once (save for the one), turned and entered the water. No, they hadn't just turned, but it was like they had fled.
McGee remembered wanting and trying to move, but until Ziva pulled him from the glass wall, he couldn't do it. Not on his own. Then, there was this.
McGee pointed with his whole hand at the stuffed seal on his bed, black marble eyes watching him calmly.
"I swear to god, if you move, or talk, or do anything a stuffed animal shouldn't, I'm going to freak out." McGee chuckled to himself, shaking his head. Now he was talking to an inanimate object. Get it together McGee!
His phone's ringtone woke him from the trance.
"McGee."
"Hello McGee."
"Ziva."
"So… how are you?" McGee crinkled his nose. He knew that the whole team had noticed his behavior today, but Ziva had a front row seat. From the morning, she had seen that something was wrong.
"How are you?"
"I'm…" McGee was at a loss of words. Such a simple question, but one of the most complex known to man. How are you. In what sense? Spiritually? Physically? Emotionally? Supernaturally?
"...fine, Zee. How are you?"
Ziva skirted McGee's courteous response.
"You did not seem… fine today. I was just…"
"Checking up on me?" McGee heard her huff on the other end. He frowned, knowing that Ziva wasn't the best with interpersonal emotional conversations. This was pretty big for her, to call and simply inquire as to the emotional state of a coworker.
"Yes." She finally admitted. "You did not seem yourself today."
She took a deep breath.
"I just wanted to make sure everything was… well."
Silence.
"McGee?"
McGee's eyes were wide, still staring at the seal, his eyebrows almost touching what little bangs he had.
"I got it!" he exclaimed, standing from the chair.
"Got what, McGee?"
"Look Zee, thanks for calling. Really. But I have to go. I've… my muse came back. I need to write. Now."
"But-" Ziva replied, half offended that her attempt to reach out on a personal level to the agent who had first shown her friendship on the team was blowing her off, and half just plain perplexed at his actions.
"Gotta go Ziva! I'll see you at work. Bye!" Tim kicked himself for hanging up on Ziva, but he had had a thought. And maybe, just maybe, it would provide answers.
"Tim!" Ziva yelled into the phone, but he was already gone. She stared at it for a moment, slightly hurt. This was not like McGee. Polite, 'bend over backwards' for you McGee. Slowly, she pushed the phone into her pocket, grabbed her keys and a jacket from the back of her couch, and left her apartment.
Within seconds, her car was headed towards McGee's.
But once she arrived, she saw that his car was gone. Her Mossad mind started working overtime. She ran through the list of places he could go. Then, with that list of places (all pertaining to his behavior today) in mind, she assessed any steps he would take before heading to said locations. That aquarium! Where his odd mood began! You still got it, Ziva!
Rubber burned as she sped out of the parking lot.
But McGee wasn't at the aquarium. Not yet.
"Hey Bill. Yeah, I know it's late, just got some extra work Gibbs wants me to finish up."
The middle aged security guard at NCIS smiled at McGee. He'd heard the excuse countless times from the young agent.
"At this hour? I know Gibbs, but come on Tim! It's Saturday night! Live a little!"
"Sorry, Bill. Already lived today." McGee smiled. Or did his best to imitate what a smile was supposed to look like. Bill leaned into the car window from his booth.
"And what might that have been?" It was less an accusation of a lie, but more friendly wondering what someone like Timothy McGee would consider 'living' be. Bill continued.
"Heard Abby talking about going to the aquarium. That what you call living?"
McGee's heart tore into pieces. He softly nodded, while Bill cocked his head.
"Alright Tim, go ahead. If you wanna live, and you're done in a couple hours, I might be grabbing a beer with Tony when I get off. You're welcome to join. And by the way, your car smells like fish." Bill smiled broadly.
McGee nodded again, then drove through the gate, his heart pounding.
Three Hours Later
McGee glanced around himself as he walked through the Navy Yard parking lot. He had spent the last few hours hacking into the aquarium security systems, cameras and alarms. He set them to go dark just after 3:00 am. He'd found the work schedule of the security guards on duty, checked their backgrounds to see whether they would be threats, and downloaded and memorized the blueprints of the inner workings and back halls. Yep Tim, you've covered your bases. Now, the origin. The source.
McGee, with his nerves a wreck, didn't notice the small car follow him from the Navy Yard and onto the highway.
Ziva made a quick turn when she saw McGee's car turn into the lot of a park a few blocks from the aquarium.
She had kicked herself earlier when she found the aquarium parking lot devoid of McGee's car. She had even cruised the surface streets to see if he had parked a bit off site. Nothing. It then clicked. NCIS. And with that, she had been correct. She had seen his car through the gates, but kept driving until she could park in a location with a clear view of the gate. Then she waited.
Now, McGee was where she'd thought he'd be. She turned off her car, staring through the windshield at his. The car, even though it wasn't running, bounced around a bit. It was when she saw through his window McGee pull on a black sweatshirt and pull black gloves on her fingers did she gasp. What the hell?
In an instant, McGee was out of the car, looking incredibly suspicious in all black as he hurried along towards the aquarium, glancing over his shoulder. Ziva pulled on a sweatshirt and got out of the car.
She had followed him through the side door into the aquarium, still not believing he was doing what he was doing. And with my lock-pick kit, too! Aside from the 'breaking and entering', Ziva was confused about the situation. But, something inside her told her to simply follow, and not confront. Not yet.
McGee's combat boots squeaked quietly on the polished aquarium floor. His heart beat furiously, and it wasn't from the actions he was taking. The 'heartbreak' feeling seemed to be getting worse, but better at the same time. He knew this was the right thing to do.
He easily recognized the landmarks from yesterday, and was soon walking along the concrete path that bordered the seal tank. Thankfully, all the lights were off. He approached the glass wall, then hoisted himself over it, feet landing firmly on the rocky platform. Crouching for a moment, McGee surveyed the seal tank.
The rocky platform was about 20 yards wide and the same in length. It gradually sloped downward until it was underwater, allowing the seals easy access in and out of the water. So that they can be stared at. So they can be gawked at. Like they're in prison. By God damn-.
McGee clasped a hand over his mouth. Even though he'd only been thinking the words he was surprised. Where did that come from? It was as if something had taken control of his thoughts for a moment, leaving him blisteringly angry about the seals captivity. He shook his head, and waited.
It didn't take long for his presence to be regarded. One, then another seal head popped out of the dark water, watching him closely. More and more of the seals surfaced, but not drawing closer. They watched him cautiously, turning every so often to one another, then returning their gaze to the agent. After five or so minutes, one seal head closed the gap in the water and the being crouched on the rocks. It fearlessly climber out of the water and began to shuffle over to McGee. Despite the utter obscurity of the situation, McGee was not frightened. He simply remained. And slowly, involuntarily, the corners of his mouth turned up into a smile. The seal, the same one that had remained staring at him when the others had left, was within a few feet of the agent. How McGee recognized it, he had no idea.
"Hi." the man spoke.
The seal nodded, it's knowing eyes locked with his.
"Who are you?"
The seal turned its head to the side.
"Why do I feel better now?"
The animal kept looking at him. The words McGee uttered next surprised him. It was similar to the thought he had had earlier; as if something was taking control of his mind.
"Who am I?"
After a few minutes of comfortable silence, the seal nodded, bringing a fore flipper up to its chest. McGee looked at it, confused, his logical mind telling him that this was insane. That he was insane.
McGee watched as the seal's flipper pressed against its chest, and tightened. The agent's eyes widened as he saw the grey skin come apart, as if there were a seam in it. Beneath the grey fur, was pink. Skin. Very, very, human looking skin. McGee gasped, falling backwards with a splash, his head slamming against the glass wall.