Sorry for not updating yesterday, had a busy work day and couldn't get around to it. But here's chapter 20!

WARNING: contains language.

BTW, CRRC stands for Combat Rubber Raiding Craft. Goggle it and you'll get an idea of what one looks like.

"McGee!"

McGee sat up abruptly. He could have sworn he heard someone call his name, but it only sounded like wind through trees. He immediately felt water on his face and reached up to brush it away. As he opened his eyes, he realized where he was. Oh my god, did the Destrallius sink? I know I was knocked unconscious... Did this happen while I was out?

He was in a lifeboat that tossed slowly on Indonesian seas. He turned about him in the wooden boat, careful not to tip it too much.

"Tony! Tooooooony!" McGee called out frantically as he looked in all directions. All he could see was ocean stretching on for miles. Fear overtook the agent. Where's Tony? Where's Skrill? Where am I?

McGee turned back to the front of the lifeboat and nearly fell over from surprise.

"Hello McGee." In front of the agent, was himself.

They were dressed identically, both in matching tactical gear from Operation Blackbird. Then, McGee remembered his dream from before; the one where he saw himself making a boat in Gibbs' basement. This is a dream, this is a dream. Just a dream. All I remember was falling from the-. Oh my god, am I dead?

"What are you doing?" The impostor asked calmly as he reclined against the bow of the lifeboat.

"I'm… I'm dreaming. You're a dream. That's all you are." the real McGee replied, somewhat unsure of himself, indicated by a slight quavering in his voice. The impostor sighed and shook his head.

"That's all I am to you? A dream?"

"What should you be? You're a part of my imagination. Like a character from my books."

"Really? That's all?" The impostor stood threateningly.

McGee simply stared.

"You see, all of this!" The fake McGee waved about, pointing to the ocean. "It's all who you are! It's all inside you. This ocean. This lifeboat. I may be a part of your imagination, but I'm so much more important than that. Do you get it? You and your literary pretentiousness."

"I'm not pretentious!" The real McGee snapped.

"Oh? And yet you insist you are real, and I am a part of your imagination. What if it's the other way around?"

"Because it's not. Because I know Tony and Ziva and… I experience them every day! How can I be fake? You are the fake one."

"But I experience all that too." The impostor leaned in close to McGee.

"The difference between you and me, is I'm not afraid to take chances. I'm not afraid to speak my mind. I'm not afraid to let loose, and go for the throat. You? You're a scared little child in grown up clothes." The impostor sat back, grinning evilly to himself. McGee was so stunned, offended even, that he could simply gawk at himself.

"So, you are a part of me."

"Yep. The part that isn't afraid to let go." The fake McGee placed a cigarette in his lips, and lit it, blowing the smoke over the real McGee.

"Afraid? AFRAID?" McGee snapped. "I went to Somalia! I confronted Sharif! I killed people over there! And now I'm on a Black Op for the C.I.A.! Don't you tell me I'm afraid!"

"I'm not talking about things like that. Back in D.C. You're always afraid. Just let me go..." The impostor grew a suspicious smile.

"Let me out."

"Why? Who are you?"

The impostor rubbed his chin, thinking of the proper wording.

"I'm the part you threw away. I'm breadcrumbs brushed down to the dogs. I'm the part of you that you've suppressed. You remember daddy, don't you?"

"Don't you talk about my father." McGee snapped. The impostor shrugged.

"All that resentment. All that hate for the man who brought you into this world-."

"The man who beat me!"

"All that anger. Think about it. Think about how skilled you are. How capable at hacking you are. It's the reason you're on this Op. Just let me out, and I'll make us memorable."

"I am memorable."

"You're a child. And you know it. Hell, it took you so long to admit to Ziva you're feelings. Who waits that long, honestly? Who waits that fucking long?"

"It was the right thing to do."

"Right? You think you know what's goddamn right? I can't believe I have to be a part of you. I'd rather be a part of DiNozzo. At least he's not afraid. Or Gibbs. But I got stuck with you. It's like living in a house where you can't touch anything. You're a goddamn museum!"

"Go away." McGee whispered, almost too soft to be heard.

"What did you say?" The impostor narrowed his eyes as he took another drag.

"I said… go away."

"Well, I'm about to. Look over there."

The impostor turned and pointed in front of the ship. About 200 yards away, the ocean dropped.

"What is that?" McGee gasped.

"Whirlpool. Hope you can swim."

It was like someone had pulled a massive plug out from the bottom of the ocean. The boat was immediately pulled towards it as the waters circled around in an enormous loop, sinking and disappearing in the middle. McGee barely had time to react as the boat was pulled down and into the whirlpool. As the lifeboat careened down the side, just before it was swallowed up, McGee heard the fake McGee whisper. Oddly, despite the cacophonous sounds of the rapids, McGee heard the whisper inside his head.

"I'm never going away."

"Woh easy buddy!" Tony yelled. When McGee focused, he saw that Tony was holding onto his wrists. His hands were balled into fists and sweat was covering his body. Skrill sat in the corner, smoking a pipe.

"Well, now I'm gon' have to wash mah sheets. You didn' wet yourself did ya?"

McGee looked around, confused. Tony tried immediately to fill in the blanks.

"You fell off the cargo containers, hit your head. This is Skrill. You've been out almost 9 hours. We're getting close McGee. How you feeling? You still good to continue?"

McGee thought of the fake McGee in his dream, and hated him.

"Yeah, I'm good to go. Just... had a weird dream."

"Well, you can tell us 'bout it later, Rook." Skrill said as he stood. "The crew's preppin' the CRRC. We'll be taking off soon. Put your clothes and your equipment on." McGee nodded, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Tony tossed him his equipment.

"Jesus, Probie, you're always getting hurt!"

"Tell me about it."

Tony paused for a moment as he took a seat on the bed next to McGee.

"You really scared me McGee." Tony spoke quietly, looking deep into McGee's eyes.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. You're gonna give me a heart attack one of these days. I swear to god."

McGee chuckled, and reached forward, squeezing Tony's shoulder.

"Thanks Tony." His eyes were sincere.

"Yep. I mean, can you imagine me trying to take on Mikhailov without you holding me back? And hell, someone's gotta listen to me mispronounce Fuchs name." Tony laughed. " I am soooo looking forward to that."

"Yeah, I was waiting for you to mention something like that."

"Ey! Boys! All set!" Skrill headed out of the room, swinging the large steel nautical door open.

"Oh ho! Rook, you doin' alright there yeah? Nasty bump yeh got there. You good to go?"

"Yeah Skrill, I'm all set."

"Right, let's go."

The three agents exited the room and Skrill led them down winding staircases and corridors into the hull of the ship. It became obvious, that while the 'Destrallius' was a fully functioning barge, it was a cover for a whole mess of Agency operations. Other agents walked around, nodding to the three. A few even shook McGee's and Tony's hands, and wished them luck.

Skrill led them into the bottom of the boat. Inside it was a drydock with the CRRC resting on a grated floor. In front of the small inflatable boat was a large steel gate, obviously used for sending out and receiving CRRC's like theirs. There were crew members busily untying the boat from the hull of the barge as they prepped for launch. Skrill walked over to a table and pulled from it an AK-47 assault rifle. He cocked it, slung it across his back, then turned to the agents. Before he could speak Tony piped up.

"An AK-47? You serious Skrill? That gun's primitive."

"Oi, well it won't jam when it gets a wee bit of mud in it like yours will." Skrill shot back, smiling a toothy grin.

Both McGee and Tony looked down at their weapons, then each other.

"You got a couple more of those?" Tony asked.

"Of course!" Skrill opened an ammo box, pulled from it two assault rifles that had tormented the United States for years, and help unclip the agents from their previous guns. As he clipped them into the AK's, he laughed to himself.

"Probies." Skrill muttered. Tony looked shocked and McGee grinned at his partner.

"Not a word about that, Probie." Tony shot. McGee simply mock 'zipped' his lips.

"Shall we, ya love birds?" Skrill called as he stepped down onto the lowered grate floor next to the CRRC. McGee and Tony followed and climbed onto the sides of the tactical assault boat, straddling the inflated edges. They lay down, pointing their weapons towards the gate. Skrill jumped in as one of the crew members started the engine. With a loud creak, the gate opened and sea water flooded in. The boat rose immediately, floating on the churning water.

"All set?"

"Yep!"

"Hit it, Skrill!"

Skrill laughed, punched the motor, and the little boat sped out from the hull of the barge, skimming across the waves. Ahead of them, they could see the enormous green island ahead of them.

WOOO! So, they'll be on the island soon! Gah i'm so excited to upload more! Reviews encourage me, that's for sure :)