Okay, this is my first Navy NCIS story. I enjoy the show and all the characters so very much and decided to give writing a fic a try. So please don't throw objects at me or totally yell at me in any reviews you might give. If any of the information I placed in the story is completely incorrect or makes no sense I apologize sincerely. This is only the first chapter and I just wanted to see how well I'm doing thus far.
So, enjoy and if you have anything to say please be gentle.
"Tony, I'm still a little confused as to why you invited me," McGee said as he and his fellow agent got out of Dinozzo's rented vehicle. The special agent still hadn't found a new car and had no interest in rushing the process. Tony had a one track mind when coming to find the precise new car. They had driven out to a country home about an hour away from the closest town in Maryland and about three hours from Washington, D.C. where they worked. "I never would have imagined you'd invite me to meet your parents."
"It's my birthday, probie," Tony replied. "I always bring one of my friends home to help celebrate. I brought you this time to run interference."
"What? Interference?" A look of confusion came upon McGee's face. Tony just gave the younger man a sly grin as they headed to the front door. "Did you set me up for something, Dinozzo?" Tony knocked on the door.
"Me? Noo…" Agent Dinozzo looked at the house and sighed. "Like the house, McGee? I helped build it."
"I got the door, Aunt Blythe!" Someone yelled as the door opened. If McGee didn't know better he would have thought he was staring at Abby's twin. A young woman with dark hair that threatened to obscure her vision if she didn't brush it back stood just inside the house. Her outfit consisted of clothes that McGee was used to seeing on Abby as well, a skull t-shirt with black pants that had more pockets than probably actually needed. She crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. "Well, well, look what the cat dragged in. Big bro and his well dressed friend."
"Brother?" McGee repeated. "I thought you didn't have a sister."
"I don't, probie. Michelle's just a few wires short of a full circuit. She and I pretty much grew up together. We're cousins."
"Don't make me feel old, Anthony," Michelle replied. "And I told you I go by Mickey. Is that really so hard to remember?" She looked at McGee. "Who is your nicely clothed friend? And why didn't you tell him a suit and tie is so not farm material?"
"This is McGee," Tony told her. "And I didn't think about the dress code. I kinda sprung this on him at the last minute." He turned to his fellow agent. "Did you pack some durable clothes?"
"Wait. I gotta a question," Mickey interjected. "What kind of name is McGee? It's like McGruff except you're real and you probably shoot at crime instead of taking a bite out of it."
"It's my last name. My first is actually Tim. Tony and the others usually call me McGee."
"Or probie," Tony added. "Actually, that's just me."
"You should have brought Ducky," Mickey said. "He's always fun and I needed him to help me with some details."
"Mickey, just let us in," Dinozzo said. The young woman rolled her eyes and went into the house. The two men followed. McGee closed the door than took the opportunity to examine the living room. The furniture was all very nice, but also had a comfortable feel to it. He glanced at a few of the pictures on the wall containing a very young Tony with the same goofy grin Dinozzo often gave Kate. Michelle plopped down on the couch and gave McGee a sly smile as he looked in her direction. "Where are mom and dad?"
"Aunt Blythe is finishing up your cake," Mickey answered. "And Uncle Mike is, well, catching tomorrow's dinner."
"Please tell me he went to the lake."
"I'm not sure. He left before I woke up this morning. I got here about two last night so I kinda slept until one today."
"If only we all had that schedule," Tony retorted. The young woman's green eyes narrowed.
"I work just as hard as you do, Tony. I may not go searching for a murderer, but writing a good story takes just as much time. I make good money doing it because I have the ability to."
"Yeah, yeah," Dinozzo muttered. "You're a damn millionaire. Good job. I'm going to go talk to my mom. McGee, stay here and keep Michelle company."
"Okay." Tony left the living room and the younger agent took his place next to the couch.
"Do you always take orders from him?" Mickey asked.
"Well, he has seniority over me," McGee replied.
"Even on the weekend away from work?" McGee opened his mouth to reply. "Never mind. Not really caring right now. Maybe you could actually work to my advantage. I've been looking for a new character and you might just be perfect for it. You up for a little interrogation so I can get an idea of how to write you, but it won't really be you. None of the characters are actually like the people I based them on."
"You really do write for a living?"
"Yeah. I wouldn't lie about something like that. I went to college, majored in psychology and English, found I had a knack for creating a good story and ended up getting published. I've got like three out, a couple of stories ready to go and a few more in the works. It really helps that my cousin has an interesting job and some fascinating friends."
"Do you borrow from the cases?"
"Nope. Just the people. All that procedural stuff gets way too complicated for me. My stuff is purely satirical, spoofy and semi-intelligent. People die, come back to life only to die once more. It's fun to write." She sighed than reached out and tugged at McGee's tie.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm bored, McGee." He tried to determine what to say exactly. Tony's cousin wasn't exactly easy to read, but not many women he knew were.
"I'm sorry?"
"Come to the barn with me."
"Excuse me?"
"The barn, Timothy. Let's go to the barn."
"What's in the barn?"
"Something fun," she answered with a satisfied grin. "If you do it you'll be the first out of the group to agree. Kate and Gibbs kinda just gave me looks. Abby told me she was allergic to hay and you can't ask Ducky. That's just a no-no."
"Gibbs has been here?"
"Yeah. He and my dad go way back. He and Tony knew each other before they started working, but they kinda downplay all that so it won't seem like Gibbs is playing favorites. Haven't you noticed how he's slowly becoming like him? It's a little creepy."
"I see," McGee said. The agent was slowly beginning to understand why Tony was the way he was. If his cousin acted this way he could only imagine what Dinozzo's parents were like. "Maybe I should go see what Tony's up to."
"He's probably eating half the kitchen," Mickey said brushing back some of her hair. "Tony always eats like he hasn't seen food in days, but once you get a taste of my aunt's cooking it is like you haven't eaten before." She looked at him again. "So you wanna?"
"What?"
"Go out to the barn. We can go hay jumping."
"Hay jumping?"
"You like to question things, don't you? Is that your part on the team? To look all confused and repeat whatever someone says to you?" McGee opened his mouth to answer, but before he had a chance another woman with blonde hair and a nurturing smile came into the living room joining the two. She wore a flour covered green apron over a white blouse and a pair of jeans.
"Michelle, dear, I'm going to need you to run into town and pick up some more food. Tony's already eaten half the kitchen. That poor boy just doesn't eat enough. He's nearly skin and bones." Mickey looked at McGee.
"Told ya."
"Oh, you must be Tony's friend, Agent McGee. I'd shake your hand, but mine are covered in grease. I do hope you like fried chicken."
"Yes, ma'am."
"None of this 'ma'am' stuff, son. Call me Candy."
"Aunt Blythe, nobody calls you Candy. Not even Uncle Mike. You just want someone to call you Candy, but they won't because most people know better."
"Michelle, you're such a pessimist," Blythe commented. "I wish you'd cheer up a little."
"I have plenty of cheer," Michelle responded. "I just choose to squash it down so people don't to take advantage of it. And don't tell me they don't because they do. I should know."
"I understand, sweetheart, but that doesn't mean you should become a bitter old woman with only her cats to keep her company," Blythe replied. "Now run along before your uncle gets here." The young woman jumped up off the couch and snatched up a messenger back lying next to the couch. It was covered in pins with characters from different movies and sayings a person like her would find amusing.
"Yes, Aunt Blythe. C'mon, McGee. Tony told you to keep me company and you can't do that when we're in two different places."
"Uh, okay…"
"Michelle, I don't think the young man wants to go." Blythe and Michelle both looked at the agent. He silently wished he had never accepted Tony's invitation, but his friend had tricked him. Dinozzo asked if he wanted to go to a party failing to leave out it was happening at his parents' house in a country-like setting where his brazen cousin was waiting to attack anything that moved.
"So are you coming?" Mickey asked pulling out her keys than tugging on his tie as she moved up next to him. "We don't have all day."
"Sure," McGee answered. The young woman grinned brightly and her green eyes sparkled.
"Alright than," Blythe said. "You two kids be careful." Michelle gave her aunt a small salute than grabbed McGee's tie once more and began to pull him out of the house. The young man quickly made a mental note to remove it before Tony's cousin choked him to death. She led him out past the rental car Tony and he had come up in to a Mini Cooper with the British flag painted on top.
"Surprised?" Michelle inquired as she let him go and he started around to the other side. He looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, the car usually says something about the personality of the person. I bet you were thinking that I must drive something big and obnoxious kinda like me." She glanced up at the sky a moment. "I wasn't always like this though, McGee. I used to be quiet and I'd follow people just to make them happy. Kinda like you." Mickey focused back on him and smiled at the inquisitive expression on the agent's face. "You know something? I like you. You're one of the few guys I've met in a while that hasn't told me to shut up. You probably don't want to because you're afraid I'll hit you or something. Or maybe you just haven't because you're really interested in what I have to say."
"I think it's interesting you do jump to conclusions," McGee stated. He felt a bit bold making the statement, but he figured the young woman could take it. "Personally I don't have any problem allowing you to talk. I'm a pretty quiet person by nature. I listen more than anything. And I'm glad you like me. I'd hate to know what you would do if you didn't."
"I might have actually choked you with the tie instead of just playing with it."
"That was playing with it? You walk a very fine line between amusing yourself and nearly killing someone."
"Well, I'm not the person who dressed up for the country," Mickey retorted. "You're dressed for Green Acres."
"I didn't know Tony was dragging me out here," McGee replied. "For some reason I had it in my head I'd be meeting some of his fraternity friends."
"You don't want to meet them," Mickey said unlocking the car doors finally. She shook her head. "Those guys are nuts. They make Chucky seem sane." The dark haired woman opened her door. "Get in so we can get back before it gets too late." The agent started getting into the car. "I went out with them once when Tony turned 21. I was only 16, but I was kinda going out with one of them and I got dragged along. They spent half the time…" McGee tuned out Dinozzo's cousin for a moment when he heard an odd click as they both sat down in the seats. He knew that sound and he froze.
"Mickey, be quiet," he hissed.
"What?"
"I heard something," McGee told her.
"Heard what?" She smacked herself in the forehead. "Now I'm sounding like you." The young woman looked at McGee as he began leaning forward to look under his seat. "What's going on?"
"I'm not sure, but hopefully it isn't what I think it is." He didn't see anything under his own seat and glanced under Michelle's. The agent could make out a blinking red light and knew that couldn't be good. "Mickey, whatever you do don't move." Her hands froze on the steering wheel and she kept staring out the windshield.
"What is it?"
"A bomb," McGee answered.
"Oh, my God. What do we do?"
"Call for help."
