2006

Sara Merin got off the elevator, looking around before hearing someone call her name and grinned. "Tim McGee!" she said, going over.

"Sara!" Timothy McGee replied. "What are you doing here?"

"Passed FLETC. I'm an agent now."

"Are you now?" A voice asked, a dark-haired man coming over.

"Oh no," the other agent said as something was said, getting pinned. "Tony, seriously don't piss her off."

"Ah geez DiNozzo," an older male said. "Who'd you anger now?"

That voice! Sara knew it as she got off and turned to him. "Hey Mr. Leroy." She said, feeling nervous as he stared at her in shock.

"Sara Merin?" he asked, remembering what Augie said. 'Someday you will see her again.' he'd said. "What..." Gibbs was flabbergasted, his name being called.

"Jethro, can I speak to you please?" the voice asked. "Bring her."

He headed for the stairs, climbing them with Sara, who looked scared. "That's the Director!" she gasped. "I just became an agent!"

"'Agent'?" he asked as they entered the office. "What is going on?"

"She is on your team Jethro," Jenny Shepard said, trying to defuse the situation. "It's what she wanted all of her life."

"She...I mean..."

It's true Leroy," a voice added, Augustus Mallard sitting in the dark and hugging the girl when she came over. "She wanted to help people the way she was helped."

"Augustus," he breathed. "Gods you look well."

"As do you Leroy," The vampire said. "Especially with what happened."

"So Sara is on my team Augie?"

"Yes." Came the reply. "And there are ways we can help. I know she needs an apartment and all that goes with it."

"Why not put her with me? And I can't believe I just said that."

As Augie was about to answer, Sara stopped him, silently going to the door and wrenching it open, glaring at Tony, Tim and a young woman staring. "Well," Jenny mused. "Sara Merin, meet Ziva David."

Ziva took her hand and shook it, raising an eyebrow that the other woman mirrored. "It's all right Ziva," Sara intoned. "I'll explain later."

Gibbs was listening and now hung up the phone. "Dead body. Let's go."

Everyone went out, the vampire looking at the director. "Jenny." He said. "Is there going to be issues between her and Sara?"

"I wish I knew. Ziva is Jewish and I'm not sure how she'll take it."

~Timeskip~

They were tired when they got in and Sara wasn't looking forward to unpacking her stuff. "Listen Mr. Leroy, if this doesn't work out..."

"I wanted to do this for years Sara." Gibbs said as they opened the door, finding a letter on the table. "Oookay, what's this?"

The girl opened the letter and pulled out the note, reading it. "Augie, of course. They were here putting things away. He also gives me the internet password. Mr. Leroy, I'll pay for this all right? I can do this."

He looked at her, nodding as they went upstairs, the male chuckling as he spotted something neatly set in a box. "You actually still have it," he said, pulling out the blue sheet. "This looks incredibly good. I don't have the rest of it anymore-used it up. You can keep it."

"It reminded me of you. I can't begin to count the times I wrapped up in it." Sara gently placed it on her bed, smoothing it before returning to the box, finding things and put them on the table, taking out a rabbit and set it on the bed. "That should do it," she said, touching the sheets. "This was her room," she added, tears in her eyes.

"Yeah, but she'd want you to have it." Gibbs was slightly quiet, showing her a side that many did not see. This was a man who loved and missed his wife and daughter. Who cared about the girl that lived behind him. Sara hugged him.

"Thank you," she said. "For not giving up on me."

The next day saw her up bright and early, humming as she made French toast for the two of them. She had fallen asleep in the bed at some point and now glanced at her friend on the sofa, going over and waking him. "Breakfast is ready," she said, going back over and dishing it out, sitting down. Gibbs rubbed his eyes, spotting the fresh pot of coffee and staring at it before coming over.

"What's all this?" he asked, knowing the answer as she smiled at him, a knock at the door after a while causing him to get up, answering it. "Ziva." She said, letting her pass.

"Gibbs," came the reply. "We got a body."

"I'll get dressed then." He said, heading up."

There was a tense moment before Sara spoke. "Ziva, I mean no disrespect." She said. "I'm trying to learn the ropes, like you and McGee. Don't know about DiNozzo-he's simply weird."

"DiNozzo's weird?"

"You didn't see him try to flirt with me before I took him down. That's when Mr. Leroy came in."

Ziva David stared. "The flirting I can see, but 'Mr. Leroy'?"

"Something I used to call him." Came the reply as said man came down and led the way to the cars, both heading off. The girls were in one car, Ziva thinking.

"I don't know what to make of this," she said. "If I even can."

"I understand Ziva." Came the reply. "All I ask is that you keep your mind open. I still don't know how to tell Dr. Mallard."

"Tell Ducky what?"

Sara blinked. "Has he ever told a story about an ancestor that was thought to be a vampire?" As the nod she continued. "That's...I was raised by him."

The other woman pulled to a stop. "You were raised...by Ducky's ancestor?"

The young woman nodded, thinking she was going to laugh as the car moved forward again. "Sara, I would ask you show proof. This is..."

"I understand Ziva. Just give me time to explain-he's gonna be miffed."

"Why is he going to be 'fiffed'?"

"I wasn't really supposed to tell you." Sara winced. "There are rules about this."

"I...understand. You however...you seem familiar to me somehow."

They stopped at a golf course, tending to it with Sara meeting Donald Mallard, who bore a striking resemblance to Augie and smiled to herself. She also met Jimmy Palmer, the assistant M.E. Sara worked with the two this time, grinning at what Gibbs was doing with the C.I.D. person and silently cackling at the words 'pissing match' before he head-slapped her, Ziva wincing. "This is not good," she said, Tim nodding in agreement.

"So he slapped her," DiNozzo said. "What's the problem?"

Tim whispered in his ear, causing him to blanch and back away. Sara gave Gibbs a look before going back to work, riding back with them. She headed up from Autopsy, seeing Ziva walk in before having flashbacks of four girls; there was her and her 'sister' Julia and two others. Sara stared at the flashback in shock. "I remember you!" she said. "Me and Julia were with you and..."

"Tali." Came the reply. "My younger sister. I remember that party. Tali loved the two of you and you..."

"Told you and Tali about us." She hugged her friend. "Now if I can just remember this memory I can become more." She looked up at Tony, who shied away from her as he came in.

"Geez Tony," Tim said. "She's not going to bite you." He missed the look that the two women shared.

"Gibbs' ward is off-limits." Came the reply, Sara losing it.

"Enough DiNozzo," she said, glaring at him. "My relationship with him notwithstanding, I. Am. An. Agent. Treat me as one alright?"

Gibbs chuckled from above. "She speaks her mind-always did."

Jenny grinned. "Tony won't know what to do with her. Ziva has made friends and Tim is..."

"Hopefully not singing her praises. Augie told me she's one heck of a gamer, whatever that means. Once he catches that I may need earplugs."

~Timeskip~

They got home, Gibbs going downstairs to relax as she did the same upstairs, finally having an urge for a soda and going to get one, hearing voices from the basement and moving into the shadows, seeing him with Hollis Mann talking before getting her soda and moving up the stairs, the woman chuckling. "Was that your daughter?" she asked, the man looking at her for a moment.

"There are times I wish she was," he replied. "Then there are times when she needs a slap upside the head, like with your 'pissing match' crack. Sara's a good girl though-she's put the fear in DiNozzo. He really doesn't want to mess with her."

They talked a bit before parting ways, the man going upstairs to find the girl browsing the net. "Mr. Leroy, I'm sorry," she said. "I heard talking when I came down for a soda and..."

"I understand. I know you didn't mean to." He looked at the computer. "This is top-notch Sara. I know I wouldn't understand it however."

"Not exactly top-notch. The graphics are the FX series-top notch right now is like the six series or higher. Basically better card means better graphics."

"That...actually made sense at the end. Usually with McGee I get so..."

"Annoyed? It's just how we are Mr. Leroy. Like you could talk about woodworking and have the same effect."

They glared at each other for a moment before laughing, a flashback coming to her laughing outside when younger though it was foggy. "So you knew Ziva?" he asked, knowing what had happened and what to do.

"Yes," came the reply. "Julia, Ziva, Tali and I met-it was one of Eli David's get togethers. She knows what I am since I told her that night."

"Good. Then you can talk to her if need be." He sighed. "Sara, I know you're having the dreams again and want to figure it out. Why this memory though?"

"It's important, Mr. Leroy-like my life will be broken without it."

Leroy Jethro Gibbs knew exactly what the memory was, though he couldn't just tell her. He remembered everything that Augie told him about what memory she chose-and that it was ultimately up to her to remember. "What about Ducky?" he asked. "Have you chosen how you're going to bring that up?"

"What way is there that won't give him a heart attack?" Sara mused, climbing into bed after turning off her TV. "It'll be a few weeks anyways."

In those several weeks she had a lot, meeting Tim's sister who had the same name as her among other things. Now she walked to Autopsy, sensing but not seeing Augie nearby as she entered, talking with him about different things. "Ducky," the young woman said finally. "That story about your ancestor-what was his name?"

Ducky thought for a moment. "Augustus." He said. "Why do you ask Sara?"

"Just...promise me you'll try not to freak." She gestured, Augustus Mallard appearing and looking back calmly.

"Hello Donald," He said, suddenly feeling nervous.

The doctor blinked at him, reaching out and taking his hand. "He's real?" he asked.

"Augie is the one who raised me Ducky, and he'd like to know you too." Sara looked away. "I hope I didn't scare you." she was waiting for the man to start screaming or something, blinking as he pulled her into a hug. "I have felt some...kinship with you," he said. "For the longest time I wondered why. Now I know. I know you Sara-I know you through him."

Augie smiled at them, the old man hugging him as well. "Thank you Donald."

Sara left the two to talk, getting on the elevator and riding it up, Ziva getting on from the main floor, finding her friend moody. "Flashbacks?" she asked, stopping the elevator, causing her to stare.

"Um...yeah," she said, looking sheepish. "And there is this rule where no one can just tell me about it-they can drop hints though. So far I see myself laughing when I am called inside and see my parents with a strange man. It's all blurry though."

Ziva restarted the elevator. "It can be hard to remember trauma Sara." They got off at the floor. "But it is very good what you have done on your own."

"I don't remember why I can't remember is all-must have been Augie's doing." Sara looked at Gibbs, who looked back, shrugging. "So he knows..."

"Hey Sara?" Tim asked, coming up. "Can I speak to you?"

She went over to him, curious as he pulled up a video, getting a groan. "Gods." She said. "Gibbs is going to have a fit."

"Why do you hide yourself?"

"My job. I'd rather not have fans coming up to me when I am on the clock."

The man nodded. "You doing a collection again?"

"Yes, goes to Bethesda to purchase supplies. Meaning I'll be gaming again."

They sat down, noticing Tony's desk was empty. "Golden Boy out again?"

"Yes." Ziva replied, shaking her head as they headed out.

~Timeskip~

When she got into the house, she saw Gibbs standing at the top of the basement stairs, swiping repeatedly with a broom. "Sara, what is that doing here?" he asked, a strange giggle coming from the stairs. Sara stepped in, something climbing up to her shoulder.

"Sapphire?" she gasped, getting rubbed against her cheek as she saw another, this one looking like a red spidery version of the man himself and bowed to him. "Don't you remember Sapphire Mr. Leroy? She was smaller then. As for him," she gestured to the other spider. "He's been helping you."

Gibbs looked at the spider, getting the same glare back, the spider chittering.

"If you're wondering, his name's Loque." She said.

"You can understand them," he said before looking at Sapphire, seeing her with the two girls, blinking as he came over. "I remember her-it took me a minute. Have they been watching us Sara?"

"Actually yes. They wanted to be sure for the Bonding. I'll show you." Sara held out her left pointer finger to the spider, nodding once and bracing herself as Sapphire bit down, taking a drop of blood while leaving a drop of her poison, the young woman shaking herself as Gibbs stared.

"Are you all right Sara? Do you need an antidote?"

"If you remember with these guys, no antidote," came the reply. "However, because of how she did the bite, I don't need it. Just be sure-once done, you're bound so you have to be careful."

The man looked at Loque. "I'm ready if you are." He said. "I trust you."

The spider looked at Sara, chittering something. "If he says he trusts you, he does. Mr. Leroy understands that this is a big deal and doesn't play false."

Loque nodded to both of them before biting his finger. "You understand them?" he asked. "Then again you understood them before." He shook himself, 'hearing' the spider in his mind. "This will take some getting used to."

"Jenny doesn't even know about this." Came the reply. "Sapphire and Loque came here and watched for several weeks, but, as usual, Loque just had to help out."

Loque glared at her, making a growling sound before letting out a huff. "Aren't you just precious." Gibbs said, petting him. "Besides, I've gotten used to your help Loque. The pegs that one night were perfect."

The spider preened, Sara shaking her head. "Sure Mr. Leroy," she said. "Inflate his ego." She headed upstairs with Sapphire, grabbing her soda before heading for her room. Her spider blinked at the decorations, diving under the sheet and peeking out, chittering. "You can tell? Yeah, it was his and brought comfort to me. As for you, where do you want to sleep?"

Sapphire looked around before making a web on the headboard, staring at the computer she was tinkering with and came over, taking out a dust ball. "What?" she asked as the spider cleaned the dust up. She waited until she was done before trying to boot up, watching everything come alive. "Thanks girl, it'll run better now." She lifted the ball and went to put it in the trash. "You don't want this right?" she watched Sapphire shake her head no and put it in before patting her, letting her hand go over her back and getting a trilling sound. "This you like huh?" she lifted the little one over to the bed, letting her climb up before laying down herself, dozing off. Sara was quiet for a few hours before she began to have nightmares, Sapphire going downstairs and waking Gibbs, chittering frantically and pointing upstairs.

He stared at her blankly for a moment before getting it and headed up, touching her shoulder and calming her down. "You could have done this," he said. "But I understand-you got confused." He went downstairs. "Sapphire, she has flashbacks sometimes and that can be scary for her. I think Augie locked some of her memories away. She remembers my daughter, but not being told."

Sapphire thought for a bit before chittering, saying she would stay with her to make sure there were no more bad dreams, going up the wall to her room. Gibbs went back to the sofa, seeing Loque look at him from a boat light. "Comfy there?" he asked, taking a handkerchief and covering him. "I wonder if that spider can handle this." He said. "The last time she was a playmate."

The spider plucked at the hanky, thinking before saying she'll be all right, knowing that one would keep her safe, just as he would do the same with his bonded.

~Timeskip~

Sara came in, Ziva blinking at the spider in her hair. "That is a huge hairclip." She said, managing to keep her cool when the 'hairclip' blinked at her. Tony came over, looking at it.

"Show it to Abby," he said. "Right up her alley."

The two women went down, Ziva stopping the elevator and turning to her friend. "Okay Sara, what have you got there?"

The other woman grinned before chittering, the 'hairclip' coming alive and chirping at her. "Meet Sapphire. Saph, meet Ziva."

The spider twitched her legs before holding one out, the Israeli gently taking it. "Sara, she's adorable!" she said, petting her as she started the elevator again, which stopped at the floor, Abby Sciuto looking at them and opening her mouth to speak when she saw Sapphire, gently scooping her up.

"What kind of spider is this?" she said, looking at her and trying not to squeeze her in pure delight.

"Drowsi Arachnias." Sara replied. "Very rare in most cases."

"I've heard about them-never thought I'd see one."

"Try two. Gibbs has Loque." She watched the spider jump to her shoulder, petting her. "I have known her for years. She played with me and...and Kelly." She closed her eyes, waiting for a flashback. Sapphire stroked her arm, calming her and chittering. Sara opened her eyes. "You sure?" she asked before realizing...

"Need some time?" Abby asked. "And how are you doing that?"

"Won't answer the first and the second because she's my bonded." She ducked her head, waiting for the laughter.

"Your...bonded?" the Israeli repeated, looking at the spider. "She suits you."

"Yeah, she does Sara." The Goth agreed, watching Gibbs come off the elevator, looking at the expectant gazes and opened his jacket, Loque yawning.

"He reminds me of you." Ziva said, Sara helping her spider secure her hair.

Later, they went to the Director's office, Jenny looking at them and seeing something peeking out. "Something to show me Merin?" she asked.

Sara looked nervous, her hair cascading as Sapphire stepped into her shoulder, Gibbs revealing Loque. The older woman recoiled slightly before looking closer. "They are real then? Never seen any so large."

"These are small compared to the full-size ones." The young woman intoned. "Drowsi Arachnias is what they're called-these two are bonded to us."

"I see. Well I don't know about Loque with how his bonded is, but I expect Sapphire to honor this office with her conduct. Plus it will be fun to..." She fell silent as Sara wrenched the door open again, Tony and Tim falling to the floor and laying there as Loque went into full threat display after hopping to the floor in front of their faces. Ziva sighed, lifting him up and stroking him happily. "Okay, what just happened?" the brown-haired agent asked.

"I totally see your point Director about Loque." The younger woman said. "Full threat display over the door opening. Wooow. For those of you joining us, Tony and Tim, meet Sapphire and Loque."

"Is that an D. Arachnias Sara?" Tim breathed, looking at her coloring. "Beautiful."

"Big spid...wait." Tony looked at her. "She was your hairclip!"

"Surprised DiNozzo?" Sara drawled, grinning. "She's pretty sweet within reason, and you saw how Loque is."

"That's not a spider, that's a ball of fire!" came the reply, Loque preening.

Gibbs chuckled. "He is what he is," he said. "And right now he likes Ziva."

The Israeli woman was stroking him, calming him down easily as he chittered to the other girl, getting a shrug before he jumped down and seemed to grow before their eyes, Tony running out screaming. "What...was that?" Jenny asked.

"Illusion." Came the reply. "I didn't know Loque could even do that. As for why they're called D. Arachnias, the first of her kind was a Drow Dwarf Spider named Arachnia and she's been around for centuries. Her bonded was once merely a Drow, now thanks to her mate you could call her life itself."

Tim was blown away. Drow were his favorite characters to play. "So...you've met this woman and her mate?" he asked slowly.

"When I was traveling with Ducky's ancestor Augie I did. They've got a little place in Paradigm City-you can get to the forest from there."

"How'd he take it?" Ziva asked. "You were nervous, yes?"

"Was." Came the reply. "Didn't have to be. Ducky knew me when we met but didn't know how until Augie was introduced. I'm an honorary Mallard. I do know not to go near his mother however-poor Ducky. She wouldn't take us well."

"No, she wouldn't." Ducky chimed in as he appeared. "And have you seen Mr. Palmer?" he fell silent as they heard said man screaming. "He's not taking Augie well from what I got."

"Let me try," the woman said, heading out of the office with Sapphire in her shoulder, finding him in Abby's lab.

"There's no such thing Jimmy," the Goth said, seeing her. "He says he saw a vampire and freaked out."

"That was Augustus Mallard, Ducky's ancestor." Came the reply. "Yes, the one from the stories. He's actually quite nice Jimmy-he did raise me after all."

Jimmy looked at her before seeing the spider, Sara letting her sit on her hand. "Wow...never seen one so large." He was calming down, interested in the spider.

"There are two here: I have Sapphire and Mr. Leroy has Loque-who knows how to enlarge himself. Was hilarious to see him use it on Tony. She's an D. Arachnias."

"Never heard of those." He said, watching as Sapphire cooed at him, climbing up into her bonded's hair. "As for Augustus, I'll apologize tomorrow. I just..."

"Freaked the heck out." Sara intoned. "Jimmy, we could hear you from the Director's office. What did he do anyways?"

"He came after me." Was the reply, the two women laughing.

"I think he was pranking you Jimmy. That or trying to catch you to find out just why you were there-he doesn't know you." Her senses went into overdrive. "Um, Jimmy, he's here?" Sara turned as Augie appeared from the shadows.

"A-Augustus Mallard," Jimmy managed to say. "I am Jimmy Palmer, the assistant M.E. I want to apologize for freaking out on you-I had no idea."

The vampire gazed back, his red eyes glittering. "So you're Jimmy," he said. "I wanted to greet you and came across as scary." He bowed. "Good to meet you."

The two shook hands as he grinned at Abby before spotting Sapphire. "So this is where you are hiding. Loque here too?" He laughed as the spider told him about the illusion. "I need to be careful where I leave the books next time."