A/N: If anyone is reading my "Reckoning" story for "Criminal Minds", you know that I've been super busy which is why it's taken so long for updates to be made to that story and this one. I apologize for that, but it's just the way things are going with work and life and at least for the month of July, they may not be easing up much to allow for more frequent updates. So I thank everyone for their patience and hope you continue reading and enjoying. I will say that I hope to have finished both "Reckoning" and this story before the Season 7 "Criminal Minds" premiere and I think I will. Thank you to everyone who has left comments. I appreciate the time and effort it takes to leave reviews. I do want to say that in response to comments where people believe things should go a certain way or be written a certain way, that it's partly my vision and how I see the characters but it's also a whole plot thing for what I have planned. And I do want to reiterate that this is only the first story in what I envision to be a trilogy, so for some of the things people question, there's a reason behind it and it's related to the whole, bigger story. So if you can hang on, great, but I understand if it's not your cup of tea. Anyway, I am still curious and interested in comments so if you wish to leave a review, it will be appreciated.

Aaron Hotchner woke up early to look at the file Garcia had emailed to him late last night after she had gone back to her room. It was the information she had gathered on Agent Gibbs. Hotch had a few minutes before he needed to go downstairs to have breakfast with the rest of the team so he thought he take a quick look through the other man's file.

What he found was both impressive and sad. Leroy Jethro Gibbs was a decorated war veteran of the Persian Gulf War. The gunnery sergeant, who also was a sniper, had earned both the bronze and silver stars as well as a purple heart, the latter being awarded after he suffered injuries so severe, he was in a coma for weeks. If that injury alone wasn't enough, the man had also just lost his wife and young daughter, killed by a drug dealer the wife, Shannon, was a witness against.

Gibbs joined NCIS, then NIS, soon after the deaths of his wife and child and after he had recovered from his injuries. During his time at the agency, he had racked up countless commendations but also earned something of a reputation of being a political liability. However the man got results. Garcia of the magical fingers when placed on a keyboard had ferreted out all sorts of information written by past supervisors and directors that weren't typically in areas of one's personnel file that other agencies can access. The comments had common themes running through them. Gibbs was an exceptional agent. Determined, intelligent, skilled. He was also a loner, rigid and had issues with authority.

Hotch scrolled through more of the information. Gibbs came from a small town in Pennsylvania. No siblings. He got his degree in criminal justice doing night courses first at a community college and finished up earning his degree at American University. It had taken him six years to finally complete the degree. Everything the man accomplished, he had had to do it the hard way. It spoke to his determination and focus. Hotch could see there was much to admire about this Gibbs but he could also see where he could present problems for Prentiss.

How would this older, small-town, former Marine who was likely a traditionalist, old-school styled investigator react to a female profiler from another agency? Experience has taught Hotch that the answer would be not well. While he would bet on Prentiss to hold her own against practically anyone, he didn't like the idea of someone running roughshod over one of his people, especially Emily considering what she had been through the last few weeks. Couple with it that she would be completely alone with no other team member to back her up, it was a situation Hotch did not like at all.

He felt a prickle of guilt as he thought of his own behavior towards her during that time. All his actions were to protect the team and Emily herself, but he was honest enough to see that she could view it as a lack of support. Considering how their relationship began on less than friendly terms, entirely his own fault, he shouldn't be surprised that she had retreated from him, not returning his phone calls save for brief, professional text messages.

And that made him feel…sad. Alone. He hadn't realized how much he missed his interactions with the brunette until she wasn't there. No friendly smile or cheery greetings, no calm, insightful words when they were stuck on a case. He missed hearing her friendly bantering with Reid and Morgan. Hotch hadn't realized how in tuned he was to Emily's voice until it was gone.

He sighed softly and glanced at his phone. There were messages there, but none from the one person he could now honestly admit he was missing. Hotch glanced at his laptop one last time, staring at the personal file picture of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. The FBI agent's face darkened and his brows came together in a frown.

If this Gibbs gave his agent a hard time, there was going to be Hell to pay.


For the third time, Emily stole a glance at DiNozzo. The man had been silent since they left the Naval Yard, but unlike Gibbs, the state of silence did not seem normal with this man. It took a bit of time for her to figure it out, but Emily realized that for some reason, DiNozzo was angry with her.

Why, she didn't know. She had had barely any contact with the man. Most of her time had been spent with Gibbs or working alone in the small conference room. Despite his comments at the briefing earlier, she didn't think it had anything to do with doubting profilers. From what Ducky had told her in their early morning conversation today, he himself had given profiles to the team and one of their former teammates, Caitlin Todd, had had profiling training which Gibbs had used.

So it had to be her personally or something she did. She remembered Tony's initial reaction when learning she was from the FBI. There was always some competition and jockeying during cases if another agency became involved in some way, but she hadn't received this type of cool treatment from anyone else on Gibbs' team. If anything, from what little she had heard, if anyone was to give her the cold shoulder, it would have been Gibbs. However, he had been open and respectful and she had greatly enjoyed working with him so far.

It hit her then. She had been spending the majority of her time with Gibbs and that also meant he had been spending the majority of his time with her. She shot Tony a sidelong glance. Could he be jealous that Gibbs was paying so much attention to her? As Gibbs' apparent second-in-command, DiNozzo might perceive her presence and immediate rapport with Gibbs as threat. Ducky and Palmer had alluded to the fact that Gibbs' treatment of her appeared out of the norm for the man.

Emily pondered on how to reassure DiNozzo without basically calling him an insecure boy. She lightly chewed on her lip as she stared out the window.

"It must be interesting working for Gibbs," she began. She could feel Tony swing his sunglass covered eyes towards her though she kept staring out the passenger side window. "He definitely trusts all of you guys 100%."

"What do you mean by that?" suspicion dripped off of Tony's words.

"Gibbs has been spending all of his time with me, and not really hanging over you guys, so he knows that each of you knows how to do his or her job. You can't tell me that Gibbs isn't an alpha male who wants to be in control of everything."

"That is our Gibbs," Tony muttered.

"Well, for an alpha to give up that control to someone, means he trusts that person implicitly." Emily adjusted her sunglasses. "He's just met me and he's monitored each of my moves. It's only natural, I mean, he wants to see what I can do and that I don't muck up your investigation."

Tony shifted in his seat. "Right," he said doubtfully.

Emily decided she was going to have to give a little to get Tony to trust her a bit more. "I envy you guys that," she said softly. Tony swung his face towards her and she saw one eyebrow rise above his sunglasses in a questioning look. "I wasn't selected by my Unit Chief to join the BAU. I was foisted on him and he wasn't exactly pleased by it. For a while, he simply tolerated my presence. It felt like most of the people on the team did that. Not all, but I definitely had something to prove to some of them, in particular Hotch, the team leader, and his then well, he wasn't exactly a second-in-command. Hotch had the title, but they sort of tagged team. Co-captained. Neither one really wanted me around or trusted me."

"What did you do?"

"Worked harder than everyone else to prove I belonged there. Gideon, the co-captain, left a few months after I was put on the team. It took a while but Hotch and I got to a place of mutual respect. But then Matthew happened…" Her voice trailed off, realizing she was wading into waters she didn't really want to. What did it matter if DiNozzo was suspicious of her? As long as he didn't hamper the investigation, she could handle the hostility.

"Matthew?" Tony inquired gently. He could sense that this was a very personal topic for Prentiss and he couldn't help but feel a little surprised and honored that she wanted to share that with him, to make herself seem so vulnerable. People didn't usually do that with Tony, having a hard time getting past the happy-go-lucky persona he presented to the world. Trust did go both ways and if she was willing to go out on that limb with him, he had to respect and admire that about her.

Emily continued to hesitate, but the gentle tone Tony had used when saying Matthew's name made her believe she could trust this man. She looked at him speculatively and suspected that the brash, womanizing front DiNozzo put up probably covered up a pretty decent guy. She couldn't imagine the likes of Gibbs, Abby, Tim and Ducky putting up with anyone who wasn't.

In a soft voice, she explained briefly her relationship with Matthew, leaving out many details, but emphasizing how important he had been to her at a critical point of her life and how he had died and the subsequent investigation. As she had with Gibbs, Emily didn't criticize Hotch or her team, but like the older NCIS agent, Tony was able to read between the lines mainly because he knew in a similar situation, Gibbs would have backed him the entire way, throwing himself in front of whatever political pressure came down on them.

But the fact that Emily didn't say much about Hotch and her team told Tony it wasn't a subject she wanted to get into and he suspected if he did criticize them, the FBI agent would only defend them. He wisely decided not to talk about the BAU team.

"Well," he began. "That is one thing about Gibbs. He'll go to the wall for you. There was this one time a lab geek, Abby's lab geek in fact, framed me for murder. In fact, someone from your shop, the FBI, was ready to arrest me for it. Same thing with Ziva. One time she was framed for an assassination and the FBI was all over her. Gibbs bailed us both out. That's the boss. He'll go to the wall for you."

"And I bet he'll only do that for the people he cares most about," Emily said gently. Tony started to open his mouth and agree when he realized what she had just done. He shut his mouth and shot her a glance that was a mixture of annoyance, surprise, relief and grudging admiration. She smiled at him. "I'm not trying to take your place or force myself onto your team Tony. I'm just here to do a job and I'm glad Gibbs isn't making it hard for me to do it."

"I will say that you haven't been as pushy and annoying as other agents have been before you," Tony admitted.

Emily shook her head. "That's not how we do things at the BAU. We're here to help, not take over. Though if we strongly disagree with how things are being handled, we will speak up. You can count on me speaking up."

Tony gave her a genuine grin then. "Yeah, I kinda got the sense you weren't shy."

Emily laughed softly and returned her attention towards the passing scenery. She had at least reached a workable place with DiNozzo. He might not actually like her, but he didn't radiate as much suspicion and hostility as he had earlier, though both sentiments were still there. She understood. He was just being protective of his teammates. Hotch was much the same way. Hadn't she experienced some of that suspicion and hostility from him herself when she first joined his team?

And it seems its still there, she thought grimly. Emily had believed that she and Hotch had reached a good place in their relationship. They weren't close like he was to the other team members, but they no longer circled each other like wary animals, uncertain how the other would react. She thought he at least trusted her judgment and instincts and deserved his full support like he would give for anyone else on the team, but the last few weeks showed her that she was sadly mistaken.

She didn't know she had let out a small sigh until DiNozzo asked her if she was okay.

"Fine," she replied, sitting up straighter in her seat and allowing the cool mask of professionalism to slip over her features.

Tony sent her a sharp look, surprised with the speed and ease in her transition from engaging colleague to suddenly distant professional. It spoke of someone who was used to hiding things and some of that suspicion and concern edged its way back into him.

"It's just hard sometimes being the outsider," Tony murmured, instinctively taking a shot in the dark.

It was Prentiss' turn to look sharply at her companion. "I can't fault how anyone at NCIS has treated me," she responded carefully.

"I wasn't talking about NCIS."

"I know."

They gave each other a small smile of understanding and left it at that. They continued to ride in silence, each preoccupied with their own thoughts until Emily broke the silence again.

"You wouldn't happen to be related to an Anthony DiNozzo out of New York? One time Blakeslee Mueller investor?"

"My father," Tony sighed.

"I think I actually met him once." At DiNozzo's inquiring look she elaborated. "It was at some party my parents were throwing. It was the summer before I went to college. If I'm remembering correctly, a very charming man."

"That's my father," Tony gritted. She looked at him curiously. After a moment's hesitation, he sighed. "He wasn't always around much when I was growing up. Lots of private schools and summer camps."

Emily nodded understandingly. "It wasn't much better for me."

"Come on, an ambassador's kid? I would have thought it was exciting traveling around."

"Sure, if you like moving around every few months and starting over, never having any real friends because just when you're about to find one, you have to leave the country." Her voice held a note of bitterness.

"I hadn't thought about that," Tony admitted. He shot a look of amusement at her. "Well, that's one thing we have in common, crappy childhoods courtesy of our parents."

"Which caused both of us to wind up in law enforcement."

"Better than the other side."

Emily laughed out loud at this and DiNozzo joined her. He understood now why Gibbs seemed drawn to her. There was a warmth and ease about Emily Prentiss that drew solitary people towards her, like a sun drawing towards it cold, dead planets that eventually will feel life spring forth once the warm rays touch them. For someone like Gibbs who had years of ice layered on his surface, it must have been irresistible to bask just a little bit in Emily's warm glow.

It also hadn't escaped Tony's notice that Prentiss reminded him a little bit of Kate Todd. Attractive, intelligent brunettes with profiling backgrounds, there was just enough similarities between the two women to send off a whiff of familiarity that made one pause. Maybe that was why Gibbs seemed to take so easily to the FBI agent, it was the vague impression he had known her before.

Tony nodded to himself silently. That was probably what it was. Gibbs was initially reacting to those parts of Emily that reminded him of Kate. Add to it the fact that Prentiss hadn't bullied her way into the investigation, hadn't tried to take over or dictate the direction and pace of it like so many other outside agents had before her, it made it easier for Gibbs to accept her. His own latent fears of being replaced or shoved aside in favor of someone else eased some more and he began to relax a little.

Out of the corner of her eye, Emily could see some of the tension in Tony's shoulders dissipate a bit and hid her smile by turning to look out the passenger window. She was glad that they had come to an understanding. She truly had liked everyone she had met at NCIS. They didn't need to like her but it helped if they were at least cordial to each other. And Emily had to admit that after the last few weeks where she felt uncertain about her relationship and position with her own BAU team, it was nice to feel welcomed and liked. As much as it was about the success of the investigation, Emily was honest enough to admit it was also important to her personally.


Rex Malloy was slimy, repellent and reminded Emily both physically and figuratively of a snake. He had taken one look at her and propositioned her and hadn't stopped the entire fifteen minutes they had been there.

After Malloy's first rude comment towards her, DiNozzo had stepped in front of Emily. He may have been a dog himself where women were concerned, but a streak of protectiveness ran deeply through Tony like it did for every member of Team Gibbs. However, Prentiss wasn't having any of it and immediately stepped around him to stand shoulder to shoulder as they both questioned the money lender.

Malloy only confirmed what they had suspected earlier, that both Barnes and Miller had approached him for a loan, which he had turned them down. Even a snake like Malloy had considered them too high of a risk. But he had said something interesting. He noted that business had slowed in the last few months, but hadn't been able to find another lender working the area.

"Maybe the soldier boys were just being more careful with their money," he cracked as his eyes roamed over Emily's body yet again, lingering on her breasts.

With nothing more to add, Prentiss had almost rolled her eyes and started to move towards the door while Tony was giving the usual, "thanks for your time" and handing Malloy his business card. That was why Emily was the first to see him.

She had just opened the door and was standing next to it, holding the door open for DiNozzo as he finished up. She was standing to the side of the doorway instead of directly in it. DiNozzo, was perfectly framed by the doorway, his back towards it while Malloy was in front of him, facing the doorway.

Both Emily and Malloy saw the man with the gun running up to the office, his gun pointing for Malloy but with Tony standing before the other man, it was almost guaranteed that any bullet fired had a high probability of hitting the NCIS agent first.

Acting purely on instinct, Emily started to shove the door close and dove into Tony to knock him out of the path of the bullet. Malloy had seen the shooter and was already ducking, surprising Tony who started to turn around to see what had elicited such a reaction from the other man. He was hit by Emily's body and both agents fell hard on the floor, Tony's head smacking sharply against it. Emily fell down next to him, her own head hitting the floor too. Glass from the door was shattered by a storm of bullets and the sharp shards rained down on them. Tony instinctively covered his face from the flying glass and felt a sharp prick on the back of his hand.

Slightly dazed, but with his wits still about him, Tony withdrew his gun and pointed it at the shooter who was standing in the doorway pulling the trigger of the now empty gun. "NCIS! Drop your weapon!"

The shooter looked blankly at where Malloy and Tony had stood a moment earlier and continued to fire the now harmless gun. Tony leapt to his feet, knocked the shooter down and handcuffed him.

"Prentiss! Malloy! You okay?" Tony barked out as he secured his prisoner.

Malloy peeked up from underneath the desk where he had taken cover and nodded, his hand already reaching for the phone to call the police.

Tony realized Emily hadn't answered him nor had she moved. He hastened to her side and gently rolled her over.

That was when he saw the blood.


A/N 2: Yes, Tony came around, a little. He's not quite all the way there yet, but he's a bit more understanding about Emily being there. And for those wondering, yes, there will be an Emily/Ziva scene too. For those who question why Emily seems to be fitting in so easily into Team Gibbs it's because considering who Emily is, her background, experiences, personality, I think she would fit well and easily among them. She's smart, warm, generous, willing to stand up for herself, but not pushy or arrogant. The pushiness and arrogance have been traits that have caused Team Gibbs to close ranks. Someone not exhibiting those traits but ones that they each can appreciate will naturally lead to more ready acceptance, IMO.