a/n - Yep, this one is going to be fun, with a good helping of action and h/c along the way. Not all RenFaires are the same, I've chosen a few to use as a model for this story, but please understand that it may not be like a faire you've attended in the past. Thank you for all your wonderful comments, you guys are the best. - Em.

Rule #38 was modified for this case slightly. It wasn't actually McGee's case, or Ducky's, but since they had the knowledge necessary, Gibbs took a backseat to them and it was a very nervous Timothy McGee that gathered the team in the conference room early the next morning. Director Vance's presence, silently observing, didn't help McGee's nerves.

"Since we don't know the personae that will be used by our potential suspects, we're going to have to cover all our bases."

"What does it matter how they dress? I don't even understand why we have to dress up for this search." Ziva leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. She'd heard enough from Tony to be convinced that she did not want to participate in any kind of role playing game with McGee and his nerdy friends.

McGee sighed and rubbed his face. "First of all, Ziva, the event is closed to the public the first weekend, so the only way we can get past the gate is to be part of the Faire. It's either that, or we get a search warrant and tip our hand."

Gibbs glared at DiNozzo, knowing that he'd set Ziva up to question their partner. "And that is the one thing the SecNav doesn't want to see happen until we have proof they're involved. All right, McGee, what's so important about their personae and what do we know about the people behind the personae?"

To answer his boss, McGee pulled up an image on the plasma of a striking, red-headed woman who appeared to be in her early 30's. "I ran facial recognition last night and identified her as Anja Clark, but her maiden name was Popov."

"Russian?"

"Mail order bride, Boss. Her late husband suffered a fatal heart attack a week after she became a citizen. She inherited almost three million dollars, and has built that up to a reported net worth of over ten million in just four years."

DiNozzo studied the picture. "Doing what? That's a serious upturn in business."

"Don't know. The IRS has been investigating her, but so far everything they've tracked down has been clean. Her late husband had a lot of political clout which she's now using to protect herself. All we know is that she is a huge history buff, and she travels all over the country going to various Renaissance reenactments. Always has a big entourage with her that changes at the beginning of each season. What we do know is that she usually likes to play the part of a French Duchess, so Gibbs will need to be nobility, probably no higher than a Lord, though. An English Lord is common enough that we can get away with it without someone getting suspicious. The rest of you will be spread out between the merchant class and the peasants."

This was sounding less and less fun to DiNozzo. "What about you, what are you going to be?"

They'd come to the part McGee was dreading. "I've been involved with the group for years, Tony. My persona is pretty well established. Now, our tent is going to be..."

"Excuse me, McGee, you didn't answer my question."

The rest of the group looked expectantly at him, leaving him no choice. "I am part of the Chivalry... I'm a member of the Order of Knighthood."

Surprisingly, it was Palmer that reacted first. "Really? You do all that fighting stuff? Do you joust?"

Gibbs looked amused, DiNozzo looked like he'd just been given the key to the greatest treasure. "Joust? Probie? This I've got to see."

Tim dropped his chin onto his chest. "Yes, Tony, I joust."

"How well do you know the organizers, McGee?" Gibbs was desperate to keep the group on track, before he, too, started laughing. "Is there any chance some of them could be involved with this Anja Clark?"

McGee thought for a moment. "I've known these guys for about five years now, Boss, and I trust them. She pulled some strings with the park department to force the RenFaire committee to accept her display, so they're not real happy about her being there."

"All right, so I am nobility, you are chivalry and..."

"Why can't I be a knight too?"

"Because it's an earned title. There's classes and you have to prove your understanding of the rules in addition to being able to fight in the proper style. The best I could do would be to make you my squire. Since this is the first time you'd be seen, you'd be expected to help take care of the horses and clean my armor in addition to learning to fight." McGee knew what the reaction would be.

"You mean, be your servant?" Tony immediately backed down, but Ziva found herself interested, despite her earlier displeasure.

"Are only men allowed to be knights?"

"Actually, more and more women are becoming knights, Ziva. Are you interested?"

"Perhaps. If that is where the operation needs me to be." She turned and gave a sweet smile to DiNozzo, reminding him of their priorities. Before Tony could think of a comeback, Balboa knocked and then stuck his head in through the door.

"Hey, McGee, your sister is on her way up."

Seeing the look on Gibbs' face, McGee quickly explained. "She's going to help me set up everyone's persona and help with the language lessons. You guys have to not only look the part, you have to sound the part and know your character's background, too."

"Come on, Probie, we've set up covers before."

"It's not the same thing, Tony. Do you know what names would be common in fifteenth century England? Do you know how a middle class merchant would be addressed as opposed to a nobleman or a laborer? This woman has traveled the circuit for years, she knows and she'll spot a mistake a mile away. There's only so much you can blame on being new to RenFaires. Past that, she and her people will get suspicious."

"McGee is right and we've spent enough time arguing. You take the character you're assigned, all of you." Gibbs' word was law, so the bickering stopped, helped by the arrival of Sarah McGee, with Abby in tow.

Sarah was wearing a long linen dress that swept the floor and her hair was covered with a fine cloth. She stepped in front of her brother and curtsied, holding one hand out. "Good morrow, Sir Giles. I crave your pardon for my tardiness."

Tim slipped into his persona easily and quickly. "Well met, Mistress Margerete, tis I that must beg your forgiveness, to chide a young maiden to travel unescorted, through the township." With the slightest pressure under her hand, he helped her upright. "Thou hav'st bringest the traveling trunks?"

"Aye, the guardsmen have thy trunks and garb. Pray, dost they believe me to be a cutpurse?

"Take no offense, sweet lady, tis the custom of this kingdom." McGee watched the team out of the corner of his eye. Gibbs seemed amused, while Ziva was obviously enthralled, all complaints now gone. DiNozzo, not surprisingly, looked like he'd hit the mother lode of treasures to tease him with for the next millennium.

Instead of letting it bother him, McGee escorted his sister as if he were presenting her to royalty, because in a sense, he was. "Director Vance, may I present Margerete Baldshawe of Dunroth. Mistress Margerete is a roving merchant at the Faire. She doth provide a fine meal to the fighters as we defend the crown."

Vance couldn't help but smile as he stood and took Sarah's hand. "Welcome to the land of NCIS, milady."

Ignoring DiNozzo's muffled laugh, McGee continued the introduction. "Mistress Margerete, may I present Leon Vance, the Director of NCIS."

Sarah dropped into a lower curtsy as her hands fluttered to her veil. "Master Edmondes, thou didnst tell me I would be meeting royalty this day." She stood and took three steps backwards, never turning away from Vance, before bowing once again. "Your Majesty, it is an honor to serve."

This time Tony couldn't hold back his laughter and McGee turned to glare at him. "Tony, you may think this is all silly and stupid, but it's the only link we have to the murder of Sergeant Ward."

"McGee's right, DiNozzo." Gibbs had a lot more to say to his senior agent, but Sarah sharply threw her hand up, stopping him. The crisp linen of her gown snapped as she spun to face DiNozzo, still in character. "Thou mockest thy King? Lesser men have been drawn and quartered for such offenses. Sir Giles is sadly mistaken if he doth believe this tosspot can be made into a gentleman before our kingdom opens." She circled around him as if inspecting a piece of meat, much to the amusement of the rest of the group. "Verily, he is more suited to clean the porta-castle."

Vance was wondering if McGee had ever discussed career options with his sister, as she had quite the flare for undercover work. "Mistress Margerete, he may be a scoundrel, but he could be of some use."

"Perchance." She finished her circuit around DiNozzo, stopping to face him. "Thou should be grateful to have such a wise and forgiving King."

"Oh, yeah, he is that." DiNozzo still thought Vance was having way too much fun.

"Thou art an embossed carbuncle, but thy mayst be of some use at the Bawdy Bosom. Mistress Gayle can always use a strong back to haul the ale."

To his credit, DiNozzo was trying very hard not to laugh. "The Bawdy Bosom?"

Tim knew that would get DiNozzo's attention. "The shapeliest bar wenches in three kingdoms."

Even Palmer straightened up at that, and DiNozzo grinned at him. "Might not be so bad after all, Jimmy."

Vance looked over his team and their guest. "All right, people, it looks like you are going to have your work cut out for you. What do you need, McGee?"

Just like that it was business as usual. "Our first step will be fitting the team in appropriate garb. We've managed to borrow a great deal from a friend that sells clothing at the Faire. Once we've fit everyone we can begin on personae."

Ziva frowned as she listened, not understanding. "Would it not be quicker to do both at the same time?" Gibbs, on the other hand, was beginning to understand.

"Different clothing, different character."

"Exactly." Tim breathed a sigh of relief. He'd been worried about how Gibbs would take the whole dress up part of the assignment. "If you end up wearing an Italian doublet, then you shouldn't have an Irish name. We have a limited amount of garb to work with, so we start there."

Vance's assistant came in with a large stack of pages that she handed to Sarah with a smile. Sarah thanked her and began handing them out. "While Tim and I are working with each of you on that, the rest can study these cheat sheets I wrote up for you. It's terms, phrases and proper forms of address when you are speaking in character. You noticed that Tim was either Sir Giles or Master Edmondes because he is a knight. Sir is used with his persona's given name, while Master is used with the surname."

Gibbs flipped through the hand-out Sarah had carefully prepared. She had been thorough, there was even a page on period appropriate swear words. "All right, people, we've got our work cut out for us. McGee, who do you want to start with?"

He knew he wasn't brave enough to discuss sixteenth century underwear options with Ziva, so Tim quickly made an executive decision. "Why doesn't Sarah start with Abby and Ziva? She can handle the fitting of their dresses first while I check the inquiries I made into Sergeant Ward's previous work details. Then Sarah can start putting together their names and personae while I work with costuming the men." He turned to Vance. "Eventually, we'll need two conference rooms, one as a fitting room and one as a work room."

Vance thought for a moment. "Room three is the most private. I'll have the MP's move the trunks in there as your second room. Is there anything else you need?"

"Could I hook my laptop into the network here?" They turned back at Sarah's question as she explained her reasoning. "I have probably a hundred research sites bookmarked on my computer. It will be a lot quicker if I don't have to track them all back down again. I'm willing to have someone in cybercrimes check my keystroke log when I'm done, if that helps. I understand that it can't be Tim."

He'd been planning on a remote observer for her computer activities while aboard the Yard, but her offer showed Vance that Sarah was taking the agency's security seriously. "I'll have someone from CCU come up and get you set up in here."

Gibbs stood and carefully started herding Ducky toward the door. He knew the older Scot would be intrigued by the research. He was, of course, too late.

"Sarah, my dear, how much research is involved? Such a fascinating time of history, are your characters based on historical figures, or are they..."

"Later, Duck. Let's let the girls get to work." Some days keeping the older man on target was like chicken herding.

"But Jethro, this is quite interesting, and you know history is a passion of mine. I could..."

"Cause of death, Ducky." Once he had Dr. Mallard through the door, Gibbs turned back to Sarah. "Start with Abby, I need her back in the lab."