Daddy McGee: 25 dot media dot tumblr dot com slash tumblr_mbiwkdJ9Dh1rtxpnso1_400 dot jpg
Mommy McGee: 25 dot media dot tumblr dot com slash tumblr_mcg0fdwWrT1rdpm39o1_500 dot jpg
Valerie McGee: 24 dot media dot tumblr dot com slash tumblr_mdte2uJyFB1qkcw6lo1_500 dot jpg
And in case anyone has forgotten what Sarah looks like!: 25 dot media dot tumblr dot com slash tumblr_me235xzuby1rls58zo1_250 dot jpg
Also, remember that sibling dynamic I wanted to work on? Here it is!
NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS NCISNCISNCISNCIS
Barely two days later, they still had no leads and no clues as to who had killed Lieutenant Leah Stevens or who had strapped a bomb to Tim's sister's chest in hopes that she would explode into a million itty bitty pieces. And of course, Valerie still couldn't remember everything, but not for a lack of trying. All Gibbs and his team could do was protect the McGee family until something came up. They were all worried that the danger hadn't passed.
"I absolutely hate black," Sarah commented as she stared at her small reflection in the mirror.
"I like it," Valerie said from behind her.
"Of course you do," Sarah said, turning to look at her younger sister, "you're a dark person." Valerie just stuck her tongue out at her, which just caused Sarah to jab her with her fingertip, making her squeal.
"I see, even with age, you two don't change," Tim's voice floated to them from the doorway of the bedroom they were in.
"Well, well, well, aren't you dashing?" Valerie said. She glanced over at Sarah and they both just burst into laughter. Tim was dressed up like he normally was, a nice buttoned down shirt, dress pants and a simple coat that went over and completed the ensemble. He just rolled his eyes at the comment.
"Unlike you, Val, I'm actually working," Tim retorted with a small smile. It earned him an icy glare before he changed the subject, "People are arriving back from the funeral. We might want to, you know, greet them."
"I hate funerals," Sarah muttered as they followed Tim out of the room.
NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS NCISNCISNCISNCIS
"I'm so sorry for your loss," Valerie heard someone say for the umpteenth time that day. She didn't know how much more of this she could take. It was hard seeing her aunt in that casket, even harder repressing the memory that had plopped itself right into her head, uninvited.
"Don't hurt her, I'll do anything you want!"
"Anything, huh?"
Flash of a light. A loud shot. Blood over her face. A body falling. A thump. Horrid silence filling her ears.
"Val, yoo-hoo, anybody home?"
She blinked a few times, letting the person in front of her come into focus and pushing the memory to the back of her mind. Or at least, attempting to.
"Yes, Sarah?" Val said, staring straight up into her big sister's face.
"We need a change of pace by the look on your face, Val," Sarah said as she pulled her sister up out of her seat and pulling her towards the hallway and over to their father's office. Sarah pushed the door open and Valerie followed her in. The Admiral's office was a bit bigger than what some people had thought, roughly half the size of the large living room on the opposite side of it. His desk was over in the left far corner of the room, right next to the fireplace and sitting in the right corner was a black grand piano with gold embellishments on it. Sarah smiled wider and pulled Valerie over to it, wiping some off the dust off with her fingers causing her to promptly wipe her fingers off on her dress, leaving dusty prints on it, but she didn't seem to care.
"Sarah!" Valerie hissed as Sarah pushed her down onto the bench behind the piano.
"This used to be like therapy to you. When was the last time you even played?" Sarah asked her. Valeried just crossed her arms and huffed, turning her nose away from her sister. "Okay, when was the last time you even sang?" Another pause. "So much for putting those degrees to use." That got a glare, but she only smiled back at it.
"What the hell are you two doing?" Sarah turned so both her and Valerie could see who had spoken. And for the second time that day, their brother stood in the doorway.
"She kidnapped me and is going to force me to play," Valerie said, attempting to get up, only to have Sarah push her right back down.
"Tim, it's been at least a year since she's played or even sang, at least," Sarah said, making a point to cross her arms and stand taller. "Help me make her?" Tim's eyes went back and forth at least three different times between Sarah and Valerie before he made a final decision.
"You sit on one side of her, I'll sit on the other," Tim said, approaching the closest side to Valerie, while Sarah scooted around to the other rather hastily.
"You both are terrible human beings," Valerie said before pushing the cover off the keys and running her fingers gently over the smooth surface. "Remember when you wanted me to teach you how to play, Timmy?"
"Yeah, don't remind me of that," he said, shaking his head. "Attempting to be taught by a five year old... I felt so pathetic." Sarah just snorted.
"So," Valerie began, "what should I play?"
"What was the last song you heard?" Tim asked.
"Justin Bieber," Valerie answered, wrinkling her nose a bit before looking over at Sarah.
"Oh my gosh, it's just one song I like from him," Sarah said defensively. "Let it go."
"Okay, no Justin Bieber then," Tim said before suggesting, "Why don't you play something that mirrors how you feel right now?" Valerie raised an eyebrow, looking at the keys before placing her hands gently in place, small flashbacks floating through their minds of when they used to do this almost every day. Valerie played a gentle beginning before coming in with the words.
I've been believing in something so distant,
as if I was human,
and I've been denying this feeling of hopelessness,
in me, in me.
Then harsher key strokes as the song really begun, them clearly being heard from the room across the hall from where they were.
All the promises I made,
just to let you down.
You believed in me,
but I'm broken.
With confusion etched on their faces, some of the people started making their way over to the room in which the piano and mid-soprano voice was coming from. The Admiral leading the way with Gibbs and Ziva close behind and Tony and Leanne bringing up the flank, followed by about ten other stragglers who had yet to leave.
I have nothing left,
and all I feel is this cruel wanting.
We've been falling for all this time,
and now I'm lost in paradise.
Both the doors were pushed open causing both Sarah and Tim to look over at them, but Valerie kept playing causing Tim to look right back at her fingers, mesmerized by how fluently she moved them. He couldn't believe it had been a year since she touched a piano.
As much as I'd like,
the past not to exist,
it still does,
and as much as I'd like,
to feel like I belong here,
I'm just as scared as you.
I have nothing left,
and all I feel is this cruel wanting.
We've been falling for all this time,
and now I'm lost in paradise
Sarah leaned onto Valerie's right shoulder, her arms wrapping tightly around her waist, closing her eyes and listening to her sister's voice. But it was Tim who saw it in her eyes, the fear, the knowing. She had to be remembering something to be this upset.
Run away, run away.
One day we won't feel this pain anymore.
Take it all away,
shadows of you,
'cause they won't let me go.
I have nothing left,
and all I feel is this cruel wanting.
We've been falling for all this time,
and now I'm lost in paradise.
Alone and lost in paradise.
Tim wrapped his arms around both of his sister's and his suspicions were confirmed as Valerie whispered into his neck, "One of them is standing right by dad..."
NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS NCISNCISNCISNCIS
Cliffhangers! HI-YA!