I realized something I should have explained earlier. This takes place after the Season 3 episode 'Disturbing Behavior' for Vampire Diaries, and sometime during season 7 for NCIS. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.
Chapter 4:
"Well, I should be going." Elena heard Sheriff Forbes say. "I'll stop by wherever you're staying later and drop off what information we have." She continued, giving Elena a look that said they needed to talk as soon as possible. Elena just stared at the spot where Gibbs and the others had been before, thinking of the ways to stall the talk.
She watched the woman's retreating back and turned around to see Tony and Ziva looking at her. "What?" She asked.
"We are waiting to follow your lead. You are the one who knows this town the best after all." Ziva explained.
"Oh, right." Elena felt like an idiot; of course they'd be looking to her to show them the town. "First we should get out of these woods and then find a place to stay." Her two teammates nodded and began heading out of the woods. Elena followed, wondering what it would mean now that she was back home, and wondering who she lost contact with would still be here.
She had a feeling Tyler would be- after all he was one of the Founding families- but wasn't sure about Stefan and Damon, if Stefan had ever returned after leaving with Klaus. Probably not. She told herself. People would have noticed by now that they don't age. And in this town that's very dangerous. For some reason, this thought filled her with sadness. She realized that she had been hoping to see them again, even though it was fairly impossible.
"So you're from Mayberry, huh?"
Elena almost jumped out of her skin at Tony's voice next to her. She placed a hand on her racing heart to calm it, and glared at him when she saw him smiling.
"Damn it Tony! You scared the hell out of me!" She exclaimed, swatting at him angrily with all her might.
"Ow! Jeez Elena, where'd you learn to it someone like that?" Tony said, rubbing his shoulder. "And it's not my fault you were off in Oz."
"Quite being such a babe, Tony." Ziva called from ahead, glancing behind her long enough to smile at Elena. She smiled back.
"'Baby'. It's 'baby' Ziva." Tony said, glaring between the two of them.
Ziva muttered something about American idioms, and Elena but back a smile.
"Anyway, as I was saying, you're from Smalltown USA?" Tony continued, jumping back to his previous subject.
Elena nodded. "It's not exactly Mayberry though."
"Good. Those type of towns get annoying after awhile." He said. "So what is Mystic Falls like?" He continued more seriously.
Full of supernatural creatures and a magnet for death.
"You know, everyone knows everyone, your parents know each other, that sort of stuff. Pretty average." She replied, shrugging.
"So basically your stereotypical smalltown. Unless there's some sort of old shut-in who no ones seen for years that goes around abducting people and murdering them. Maybe he sells them as meat. Or he stuffs them in cupcakes. Remind me to be wary of the meat and cupcakes here." Tony said.
Elena burst into laughter. The idea of someone stuffing body parts into cupcakes was both disturbing and absurd. Then she imagined Klaus or Katherine doing that and started laughing uncontrollably.
"I…I doubt there's… anyone like that." She said, giggling inbetween words. She breathed deeply, trying to curb the laughter and giggles. She wiped her eyes and looked up to see Tony smiling at her, looking like he was restraining himself from laughing. She glanced in Ziva's direction and saw the Israeli was staring at the two, a slightly annoyed expression on her face.
"Are you two done now?" She asked. The two nodded, and smiled at each other before continuing their journey out of the woods.
"Thanks. I really needed that." Elena told Tony.
"You're welcome, Elena." He replied. She stared at him. He'd used her real name for once. Before she could ask him why he didn't call her Probie, he hurried to catch up to Ziva.
-VD-NCIS-VD-NCIS-
After exiting the woods, the three agents silently decided to go around and ask some of the locals about their dead Naval officer. The first place they stopped, much to Elena's displeasure, was the Mystic Grill. She'd been hoping to avoid this place for as long as possible. Deciding there wasn't much she could do about it, she steeled for the questions bound to come before stepping inside her favorite childhood hang out.
The Grill hadn't changed much from what she could see. The bar was still where it always had been; the pool tables were still to the left of the entrance. Even the dining area looked the same.
"Oh my gosh! Elena!" The familiar voice of Caroline squealed before Elena found herself pulled into an airtight hug. She patted her old friend's back awkwardly aware of the attention they were attracting. She could practically hear the whispers of the other town residents. After all, it wasn't everyday someone who'd skipped town unannounced came back.
"Hey Car." She said. "You can let go now." She added. The bubbly blonde stepped back, and Elena found herself being pulled into another familiar hug.
"Hey Bonnie." She said, smiling and returning her other friend's hug. Bonnie smiled at her before stepping back. The next person to hug Elena was Jeremy.
This hug was equally warm on both sides, and the two held on longer than she had with the others. "It's good to see you again Elena." He said in her ear. She could hear the smile in her brother's voice, and smiled back.
They finally pulled away from each other, and Elena smiled at her old friends, forgetting momentarily the fact that she was here with Tony and Ziva. She was brought back to reality by one of them- probably Tony- clearing his throat.
"I take it you four know each other?" Ziva asked, looking between Elena and the others. Elena nodded.
"They're some important people from my past. These two," She gestured to Caroline and Bonnie. "Are two of my best friends since we were little. And he's my brother." She continued, pointing to Jeremy.
"Caroline, Bonnie, Jer, these are two of my teammates Ziva David and Tony DiNozzo." She added, introducing her friends and brother to her teammates. They exchanged greetings and formalities.
"Forbes? As in Sheriff Forbes?" Tony asked Caroline, who nodded.
"You guys have already met my mom?" She asked, surprise evident in her voice. Tony and Ziva nodded.
"We are here on a case." Ziva explained. "Do you three by any chance happen to know a Staff Sgt. Charles Birmings?" She asked Caroline, Bonnie and Jeremy. The three shook their heads.
"But we can ask around." Caroline offered. "Why?"
"He was found dead this morning in some woods that belong to some family called the Lockwoods." Tony said.
Elena watched as her friends and brother exchanged confused and shocked glances. "He was found dead on Tyler's property?" Jeremy asked.
Elena nodded, along with Tony and Ziva. "Do you know this Tyler Lockwood?" Ziva asked. Everyone, including Elena, except for Tony and Ziva nodded.
"But he wouldn't murder anyone." Caroline added quickly. The others nodded in agreement.
"The body was found on his property." Ziva reminded them.
"But that doesn't prove anything." Elena said sharply, defending Tyler's innocence. She may not have kept in contact with him, but she still cared about him. Her and Ziva looked at each other for a few minutes before turning their gazes elsewhere. Elena loved Ziva like a sister, but she wouldn't stand for anyone accusing her friends of murder.
Her gaze settled on the bar, where she saw Alaric's familiar back sitting next to a black leather jacket that looked just like the one Damon always wore. She felt hope rise up, but immediately shot it down.
"Would you guys like to join us? If you're not too busy with the case, that is." Bonnie offered. Elena longed to say yes, but looked at her teammates, knowing they ultimately made the final decision. Tony nodded while Ziva just shrugged.
"Great!" Caroline chirped before grabbing Elena and dragging her to the nearest table. The others followed.
-VD-NCIS-VD-NCIS-
Before long, Elena could tell her friends and teammates were going to get along fine. Tony and Jeremy seemed to bond particularly close over movies. Ziva seemed slightly uncomfortable at first, but slowly began to relax.
"Elena?" She heard Alaric ask. She turned around and smiled at her guardian only to have the smile slide off when she saw who was next to Alaric.
She saw the shock on his face as he recognized her before it was replaced with his trademark smirk. "Hello Elena. Long time no see." Damon said.
Elena could feel her friends and teammates staring at her, each for different reasons. Bonnie, Caroline, and Jeremy for her reaction to seeing Damon and Tony and Ziva for who both Damon and Alaric were.
"More old friends?" She heard Tony ask. She tore her gaze from Damon long enough to nod.
"This is Alaric Saltzman, my old history teacher as well as my guardian, and Damon Salvatore, my ex boyfriends older brother." She explained.
"Why Elena, I'm hurt." Damon said, placing a hand against his heart mockingly. "Here I was thinking we were friends." She just glared at him.
"You two look like more than ex's older brother and brothers ex girlfriend." Tony observed. Elena could've sworn she heard a hint of jealousy in his voice.
"What are doing here, Damon?" She asked, ignoring her teammate's comment for now.
"I could ask you the same thing." He said. The two of them stared at each other, each refusing to be the first to break eye contact. They probably would have kept staring at each other if Alaric hadn't decided to intervene, obviously sensing the possible danger brewing.
"Where are you staying, Elena?" He asked. She shrugged, still refusing to break her staring.
"That's what we were going to decide next." Tony said, watching the stare down between Elena and Damon.
"Well, I'd offer to let you three stay with me and Jeremy, but we only have one guest bedroom along with Elena's old room…" Alaric trailed off.
"They can stay with me." Damon cut in, glancing in the others direction.
Elena opened her mouth to object, saying they could find somewhere else, when she was interrupted by her teammates nodding. She sighed in defeat, knowing objecting was useless since their minds were already made up.
She could only hope things wouldn't get any worse from here, but of course that was asking for too much.
-VD-NCIS-VD-NCIS-
So here's the fourth chapter! Sorry for any OOC, and I'm sorry about how bad the ending is. I tried making it longer, but by doing so I believe I just made it bad. So Elena's once again been reunited with Damon and most of the gang! Next chapter Elena, Tony, and Ziva head to the Boarding House with Damon, which is bound to be interesting.
What did you guys think about the Tony/Elena scene here? I got the 'stuffing body parts into cupcakes' thing because I've heard some my friends talk about some My Little Pony fanfiction where one of them, I think it's Pinkie Pie, stuffs body parts into cupcakes. Sorry if I've offended whoever wrote that.
I just posted a new story; it's called 'When Future and Past Collide' and it's an Inheritance Cycle/Vampire Diaries crossover. Check it out if it interests you. What would you guys think if I posted another NCIS/Vampire Diaries Crossover or one of two Vampire Diaries fanfics? The fanfics would either be Elena falling in love with a ghost, or a story where Silas brings Alaric back from the dead. Anyway, I'm shutting up.
