AN: I need to seriously get my brain in gear and post regularly instead of in short bursts. Hi everyone! I'm back yet again with the second to last chapter in this story! Scary. I've been gone for a month or so because of real life getting in my way and have been on holiday for two months or so in general. Thankfully I managed to knuckle down and complete this and the last chapter. This...is a really long chapter in itself , really long. No clue as to how that even happened and it did not want in the slightest want to break up into two sections no matter how hard I tried to coax it into doing so.

However I'm also dedicating this chapter to a great comedic person who passed away this month - Robin Williams. He was a truly inspiring person and actor bringing every single ounce of energy, creativity, passion into his work and characters. Thank you for the laughs despite these tears.

Disclaimer: I'm working on getting them. I'll let you know how it goes-All rights go to Donald P Bellisairo and Joss Whedon.

I do however own - Issac, Angela Callies and Eddie Lusk. - Ah O.C's.

Angela had just burst into the NCIS MCRT centre searching for the team she'd been beside for the past year so far - for now it was February - and unpredictability they'd all now found out about the supernatural. The late night phone calls to Giles had been worth it for the reassurance that it couldn't have been helped but now she had to research many demon textbooks and ancient Gaelic speech so she knew at least he was trying to understand and forgive her. Thankfully Giles had done the same to Ziva and Tim much to their distaste and protests.

She knew that Giles had asked Tim to research something for him but hadn't ever figured out what it was. She doubted she ever would. Most likely just some hacking

Hearing voices enter the building and hearing coats being hooked up onto rails, she stood up from Tony's desk which she had been leaning against holding her beverage sipping from it gently every 5 minutes or so. Gibbs was the first to see her dragging the rest of the team over towards her.

"Agent Gibbs"

"Callies, where's your friend?"

"Ah, Eddie has had to call in to our main office before we go back home. This has been a pleasure Gibbs" She held out her hand but Gibbs refused to shake it, he still had one more piece of the puzzle to solve and she wasn't leaving until he could get it. Callies knew this but tried so many ways to get rid of these inquiries. Which clearly hadn't worked so she sat them down dropping a bombshell on him while in the process making Tim and Ziva grin widely.

"I know and I know I've tried to ignore this or made you try to forget it but you've made your mind up, no changing it so I shall accept this. I made plans for Eddie to after ringing our station, to then ring Giles and get everyone that can from Sunnydale to come here to D.C and well, speak to you about it as a team along with Tony apart from the other three not in the know seeing as he doesn't know much about them and can't be protected from them with how much he knows now"

Eddie burst into where everyone was gathered before realising that Angela had probably just told them what was happening.

"Okay, so I imagine Angela has just told you about what's planning to happen. They'll be flying over for next Thursday and staying over the weekend. They've informed Vance who does not know about any of this so no telling him or anyone. Any burning questions you have right now may be directed onto my superior here."

"Okay, I got one for ya, how old were you when you all first started doing whatever the hell it is you were doing?!" Gibbs yelled in a fist of rage. Angela sighed deeply waving her hand over her forehead dramatically then looking to the three in the room that knew her the most there as they laughed at their friend's antics. Tony took his boss's stance almost glaring at this girl then towards his teammates.

"Okay Gibbs, remember how I fed you that story about my friend. My first ever friend? J?"

"Johnny,yes, I remember" His voice softening a little more now.

"Well, I told you the truth, he did die and in my arms but not by PCP. He...when we were on stakeouts and things as such with Buffy...It was our first month or so out on our own and a pack of fully fledged vampires and we had no slayer herself to help. He was so stupid to venture into the whole of it himself, such an idiot. I didn't realise at the time he was, what he hated...was being turned into a vampire. I hadn't noticed because I'd been busy phoning Giles, Buffy, anyone to help our current situation...Well, half an hour had passed and then I ran over to him just as he was staking another vampire and he was clutching his side in pain and then he stumbled, lost his balance. I saw the blood, I freaked! I - "

"You need to calm down a little. Angela, I would suggest taking deep breaths in and out. This is not healthy for you. Plus I do not think that Giles or any of the IWC will approve if they happened to see you in this state of affairs" Ziva had gingerly wondered over from where she had been standing placing her hand on her friend's shoulder. Thankfully Angela nodded and smiled thankful for the support.

"Thank you Ziva. I know, I just get really worked up. It's Johnny. It was Johnny. I'm sorry, I come across strong when he's involved" She waved to the rest of the team who nodded with understanding before returning to her story.

"So he was on his side bleeding out, I ran over seeing Buffy appear. He whispered to me that he would rather have his life sucked out by Giles, demonic textbooks and thousands of threats from Buffy and Willow before he became one of those. His last wish was for me to stake him. What else could I do but respect it? Right in the heart. He dusted instantly. I cried, begged to no avail. It had been useless. I buried him and that was that, no more ragamuffin Johnny. But I've managed to move on past that, accept it and know that I have a safe space to talk about things now."

The whole team nodded in agreement as she finished her story. The IWC joined them now early than intended after pretending not to have heard the ending of her story. They knew it was tricky for where she had been concerned but now glad to hear she had sort of moved on from that. They entered into the main area when Gibbs suddenly decided to screech at his own two agents themselves.

"And when in the hell did you two join in and not tell me so I could have protected you two more? Are we a team or not here?!" Gibbs came across this team as what can only be described as fearful yet concerned and terrified for both of his agents almost to him like his children. He wasn't looking forward to either answer steadying himself and his senior agent for the answers.

"Gibbs, I do not know how you think you could have helped us even back then, you do not know how to even protect your own self against them at this moment in time, how would you have back then? I started to help the IWC which stands for the International Watchers Council almost five years ago or so, Giles is a Watcher, they help, protect and have often had dealings of the supernatural kind, I however was still Mossad back then and had just come to work for you. Buffy had come patrolling here with Willow and Xander and I had gone for a walk when a vampire itself attacked me from behind me.

Buffy staked one for me. They then saw I knew and decide to sort of recruit me before they went back to Sunnydale. They also said they'd picked up another along the way to help and introduced me to him. You can imagine my surprise when I found out it happened to be McGee, they taught us everything we know today supernatural wise. We have become firm friends since then learning about each other's pasts, patrolling and I am proud to call him so along with my friends from Sunnydale. Now you know but I do not know what else you expect me to say to either of you. I am sorry to have sprung this on you so sudden and to have kept a facade of not being so close to Tim but not about you having no knowledge of vampires, demons and witches" Ziva finished clipped with a firm but knowing smile.

McGee winced a little more at the glares he appeared to have got when it reached his turn and almost shied stuttering back like he used to when he first joined NCIS but then drew eyes with Giles who he'd just seen appear alongside Buffy, Ziva and Angela and nodded to himself, he could stand up to Gibbs like he had been for so many years, he could give his back story. He just had to make sure his boss was sitting down first.
"E,er boss, Tony, you might want to sit down, mine lasts a little longer than Ziva's and - "

"Tim's is much worse, a little harsher than you first might first think and he always seems to make light of it. He may not want you to know but he does need a bit more support than others so Tony, no jokes or laughter."

"Ziva. It's not that bad" He responded with a little too quickly for her liking.

"Yes. It is. It could be called traumatic if you want to go that far, even Buffy gets concerned when you talk about your past so freely"

"And we've been over this so many times now, I've gotten over it, it's exactly what it is - my past - and i've gotten over most of it by now"

"You are difficult on this subject McGee as always but - "

"I know, Ziva. I know" and both of them smiled gently and encouragingly at each other as Ziva reached for his hand squeezing it tightly. The Sunnydale team along with Angela and Eddie watched on with the same smiles in tow. They could only guess as to how close these two were since that first fateful night when they started to patrol together and right now, they were glad to have given this friendship especially within their chosen career. Giles beamed at his older charges, he had taken them under his wing just as much as Gibbs had, he guessed.

There had been stillness for ten minutes when they all made their entrance properly known. Upon appearing, Angela had hugged everyone within the space of two minutes. Eddie had hung back a little before guiding everyone back to remind them of McGee;s past. Gibbs would never stop pestering him throughout his adult life if he didn't. As Angela went back to stand at Ziva's desk while Ziva herself remained near McGee, Giles re entered the conversation.

"Ehem. Agent Gibbs, I do have to agree with Tim's sentiment. I know you look out for your agents and I have no doubt you will want to go searching for the person who hurt Tim in the past but you must also remember I also do the same for all of my charges. I've heard this before and have no desire to hear it again just as much as he does not wish to tell it. I

will be over in the corner with everyone. Angela, I think you, however had better stay. Tim could use your support just as much as he needs Ziva's I have seen how close you all really are and have been since the very start of all this."

The IWC had already left to go find some food waiting for Giles, the last line had been said quietly to Angela and she'd nodded. Gibbs sat down at everyone's request finally making sure Tony had sat down next to him also near Tim's desk waiting for him to talk. It was only his team and Angela. He could do this. He took in a deep breath but couldn't seem to let it go.

Having anticipated this, Ziva took the initiative and once more grabbed his hand and this time would not let it go while Angela lent on his desk, having moved from Ziva's, gently smiling, waiting for him to talk any time he wanted to but that Giles and the others would be back soon. With that, he started to talk.

"Okay, erm, I guess, it would be good to state that I don't want your pity only support. I don't really know how to start. I'll just start from where I met everyone from the IWC but I think you need to know that I met Angela here first out of the Sunnydale area. I'd just come from one of our cases walking back home, when someone tried to tackle me from behind, it was just a mugger but I kept on my toes anyway.

Angela saw this and I didn't know back then but she seemed to start tailing me because she thought it was of the supernatural kind. I started to travel back when this time it was a vampire.

I knew some things like this went down when I was a child even though dad would refuse to admit it, as you know he never seemed to make the time for me anyways. I read mum's journals when she was younger saying she was involved with the supernatural, sorcery and such. Said she knew someone by the name of Rupert, gave no indication as to his surname or how she knew him. Imagined I could play hero and detective, figure out the puzzle, I was eight at the mum ended up in the hospital when I first started here...multiple injuries and two bite marks to her neck, I asked her. I asked her a lot about the journals and Rupert.

She gave no answer, told me to stop looking, i'd hurt myself. So I asked dad, guess who told me to man up a little more and just move on a little more, he didn't even want to go get the person who'd hurt mum" McGee laughed a hollow laugh leaving Gibbs and Tony to digest the things so far. He carried on knowing if he stopped, he couldn't carry it on. -

"I listened into every conversation she had on the phone, hacked into her email's, then two days out of hospital, a man with glasses turned up with a really English accent demanding she step down but she ignored him and I guess the man saw me as he pointed me out to mum. I'd turned thirteen the day before, they tried to convince me it was part of a truth or dare game they'd made up and having a laugh about but they could tell - the Englishman more than mum - that I could see through the lie. It passed a few more years and mum had only gotten hurt once more, same as before and now we come to the bit I told you earlier. I don't really enjoy reliving this memory just for the record". With that McGee had to pause for five minutes extra trying to calm his breathing down making it even. Here was they all knew things would start to get tricky.

Gibbs nodded and made sure his second in command did too at this, clearly his team mate was more than a little haunted by this bit of his past. McGee wasn't even looking at them, not really, he seemed to look at the two girls more. They were his stable support at the time and they would be now. -

"As I told you, I was walking back thinking I couldn't slip up again, I'd already almost been mugged once and almost got a stab wound, there was not going to be a round two if I could help it. Low and behold, I run into what I think is a mugging situation for another person so I try to help out and get out of it. I run up to them, yelling but get pushed back until they drop the body. There were two bite marks imprinted clearly on the neck and when they showed their fangs, faces distorted and turned to face me...I didn't know what to do. I had no weapons to hand so I tried to use hand to hand combat with them...which didn't help because I was horribly weak more than I am now -"

"Tim as I'm sure you've been told before, you've got to stop putting yourself down so much. Really." She knew her friend would do this to himself, put himself down and blame himself for not getting there in time or killing the vamps earlier. Ziva's eyes had started too blur and gripped his hand tighter leaning her head now on his shoulder as they sat, not caring what her boss and Tony thought, right now she just wanted to be there for him and vice versa. They were the closest and she didn't know what she'd do if he never got out of this guilt pit. She couldn't lose him.

"I try to say that to myself as often as I can but I just see that person on the ground and even if I had been a second earlier, done something more...I know, it's in the past. I just think 'what if' sometimes. Anyways as I said, I didn't know how to protect myself against those things not as much as I do now and even then, it's just the basics. Without thinking I, myself got grabbed from behind, I can feel the breath even now on my neck. And I got scared so I tried to do what I had before, fight it out. As you can guess, it didn't go that well, I got stuck in a life and death grip. A vamp actually bit into my neck and then tried to suck the blood out"

Here Tony and their boss gasped audibly here but not saying anything for fear of stopping him. They could have lost a team member before he even became a proper, skilled one.

"And then I heard a voice teasing them all, turned out to be Angela here directing their attentions away so the others could stake them and save me. You have no idea how glad I was when you tailed me, I sorta owe you all my life. I later told my father, you can imagine his reaction and I have not told anything since or rather he hasn't picked up the phone when I've called.

Then I met the IWC who had run up to me after Angela had checked I happened to be okay. Sadly I still have my bite scar from the whole ordeal, just as a friendly remainder that I got lucky and I treat it that way, we knew Ziva by this point as you know and we patrolled together for the first time ever. We became good friends afterwards talking about our pasts, likes, dislikes, the usual, how we were found even though we hid it well from you two.
Buffy and Angel made me talk to Xander who introduced me to the man I once knew as mum's friend. Rupert. Everyone else here knows him as Sunnydale's librarian, to others - Giles." There was another moment of contemplation letting their young agent calm down his breathing once more.

"Was - did this Giles, he help you out down here?" Gibbs tried to ask fearful Tim didn't get most of his training from NCIS wondering if he'd lied on some of his paperwork also.

"Boss, not in the way you think. He just helped with my esteem and he, sorta put me under his wing. When I didn't have anywhere to go or felt like I couldn't talk to Ziva which was really rare, Giles told me he'd always be there. I was in his charge from that moment on, sort of like a second father but I also view you as one, you've always stuck up for me, told me I was worth and meant something. Let me finish my thoughts, helped me out with Sarah and Penny. I told Giles about all that, he was the second to tell me how proud he was of standing up to my real father and looking out for Adam next to you, so -" Gibbs cleared his throat of a lump somehow forming there at his youngest agent's word. There was truth behind everything he told him.

McGee became shy when only Giles came back in having heard both their could all tell because he had ducked his head into his arms on his desk his eyes avoiding contact with his parental figures. It was only when Giles himself spoke that he made sure to look up.

"I will admit when you first entered my charge, Tim, that I felt you were a bit of a lost soul wondering about. But you have become a well mannered young man. I'm glad to have helped you as much as I could have, and hopefully gotten to speak to the Admiral. I know I would have loved to tell him about his kind hearted, smart son and let him know what he has been missing out on these past few years. My only regret is having not got their sooner. I could have saved you that scar on your neck and a lifetime and trouble."

"Ah but then I wouldn't have met Ziva. And where would I be without you today Zee?" He exclaimed proudly.

Smiling affectionately with his voice now full of warmth at her, Ziva's face creased up trying not to cry, that nickname had never been mentioned here at NCIS. Angela had only ever heard it once when they all had first got together as a big welcome initiation into the supernatural group two weeks after the two had just met. She'd been surprised to see them act so comfortable around each other letting them be their real selves.

Tony and Gibbs didn't know quite what to make it of it, their two team mates had kept all this a full secret and been the closest to each other out of all of them since being on the team. Also Ziva usually muttered about killing anyone with a deadly weapon if they ever made jokes at her expense or making up a nickname for her. However it looked like she appeared to be blinking back tears but gave up when she looked up to see her best friend seeing him trying to not break either, letting go of his hand, she curled up into his chest moving also on to his lap sobbing quietly not wanting anyone to see her break. Her team member just held her tighter, closer to him pressing the smallest kiss onto her hair.

"Tim, how could say that? You would have managed just as well before I entered into the frame" -

"Picture, Zee-vah. Picture" Tony interjected quickly wedging his way in to the conversation not liking their pasts or how they viewed each other feeling a little more than upset that McGee got to call her whatever he liked and have no repercussions, even the boss man wore an astonished expression. He thought they were only work mates never going any further, or at least not that far back. Tony didn't like the way Ziva clearly seemed to come to McGee for advice, be all chummy with him and the like. Gibbs looked at Angela who beamed, laughing gleefully at the pair spoke to the two.

"Leave them like that. They could be there for a while, last time this happened, it was about Ziva's past to do with her brother and your fallen team mate. She never forgave herself for letting Ari loose or not pulling the trigger sooner. You do realise that she killed her brother for you all, right? Told Tim she never sees him in dreams, only nightmares now, anyways, I'm sorry we kept all this from you, hopefully you do have a clue as to why"

The other two nodded, oh they did have a clue, the biggest. Gibbs had been about to address his team before everyone else got back before he heard the faintest sentence causing all of them to stop in their tracks. Angela hid her smug look watching them all hear what the two barely said to another since the start of all this. The stress of each job and old pretense crept back up to the surface, Angela waited in anticipation. It happened to her to be a now or never situation.

Abby, Ducky and Palmer came up at that exact moment also clearly concerned as to where everyone was hiding, to hear it also. Abby looked on a little jealous of Ziva receiving all of Timmy's attention and like Ducky and Palmer - more than a little confused. Clearly something had happened because McGee as Gibbs once mentioned had his serious yet comforting voice on.

"You know you're special, right? We're best friends forever, nothing's gonna change that. We've been through the wars together and come out on top. I don't care about what anyone says or has said to you including your family. You have one here and one in Sunnydale. You've saved my butt a thousand times out there, helped me through Tony's jokes, torments, Gibbs' sometimes snide comments, it's been weird to pretend like I'd never known you properly but now we don't have to do that. I know you think I'm just saying this but I'm not. You're my closest friend I got in my life besides the people in 'Dale. Even when you think you've got no one, you've got me. We're like a Johnny and Angela combo. Willow and Xander, Buffy and Giles. I love you Zee"

Ziva had spent the whole time staring into his eyes making sure he wasn't feeding her anything but the honest truth which he had and the dams broke harder when he told her he loved her. Ziva only ever heard 'I love you's' over a phone now and it did not matter as much as before, her father had been blocking her calls after Ari had died. Now she heard it straight up and he'd used her favourite nickname he'd made up for her, he'd said it at work twice now. She couldn't hold it anymore and outwardly sobbed not caring who passed her thinking her crazy. Her best friend, had finally told her, he loved her. Their friendship was still just as real and just as strong.

Buffy came back with a fruit bar in hand with Willow beside her and Xander standing in between them sending a nod to his cousin. Buffy stopped, then muttered to Angela;

"Who let the dams burst open?"

"No one, Buff. They...They've never talked this long to each other in a long while. It comes with the job. Focus on the case first, feelings and friends come later. Sometimes you can forget who or where your friends are, here are the times where we can come back to and appreciate them more. They've been carrying huge burdens trying to look out for all of your team. Let them be happy to know that it has been finally lifted"

"Speaking from experience here, Callies?"

"Quite Agent Gibbs. Quite"