Officially my longest fic yet!!! This chapter is pretty long (for me) I know, I know I keep trying but I am a strong believer in how the flow of something affects how you read it. So enjoy!!
Being plopped into this situation was Sarah's idea of a challenge (and a mitzvah her father would have reminded her.) Gibbs and his team were infamous in the forensics community. Strict but efficient boss, the best in the business, experienced highly trained investigators, well seasoned and notorious medical examiner… and a kick ass forensic scientist. When director Shepard had called, Sarah had jumped at the chance. First off she was unemployed, second NCIS had a state-of-the-art lab and third she'd be facilitating a vital need. The really did need her. If the rumors were true, Gibbs would want to track down the killer of his agent and forensic scientist (both friends, she assumed) and he could not do that without forensic expertise on his side. So Sarah accepted the offer. She knew she could handle the challenge, she just wasn't sure they could handle her. She was after all the replacement of someone they had loved. The ring of the phone roused her from her thoughts.
"Forensics." She answered.
"Hi sarah, it's Tony." Said a male voice from the other end.
"Tony?" She didn't recognize the name.
"DiNozzo." Tony clarified.
"Oh hi, what can I do for ya?" She chirped in her most cheerful voice.
"Well actually I'm going for coffee, I was wondering if you wanted something." Unintentionally she arched her eyebrows.
"Uh, sure, iced, half-caf, Americano. Thanks."
"No problem, cream? Sugar?"
"One of each please."
"Kay, I'll bring it down to the lab."
"Thanks again."
"You're welcome." He hung up.
That was interesting, Sarah contemplated. Maybe this will be easier than I thought.
Tony had offered Sara coffee because he was curious about the young woman. Who would want to replace someone who had murdered on the job? He flinched at the word. Anyone who would do something like that should be worth talking to.
"Iced, half-caf, Americano, one cream, one sugar." Tony handed Sarah her coffee. She turned from the computer screen to face him.
"Thanks." She said accepting the peace offering in the form of a cold drink.
"So how did you even get this gig?" Tony asked directly, "NCIS doesn't even pay that well." Sarah wasn't really surprised at his forwardness, it was to be expected from Tony's type.
"Um, well director Shepard called and asked if I'd be willing to take the job, she said I'd been on her 'radar'," she made air quotes with her fingers, "for a long time. That part kind of freaked me out." He snorted a bit.
"You weren't at all… taken aback by what happened to Ab- I mean the previous forensic scientist." Sarah gulped, how to put this?
"I wasn't taken aback no, I was very sorry that I was getting a job through this sort tragedy but it also sounded kind of exciting if you know what I mean. I know it sort of sounds morbid but it's true."
"No, no I get it." Tony affirmed. There was a long pause as they both thought over what the other had said.
"Do you, do you miss them?" She hesitated a bit.
"Yeah I really do." He stopped for a moment. "I sort of feel like I let them slip through my fingers, like I could have done something."
"Survivors guilt?"
"Even more than that I think."
"You probably had no control over the moment." She tried to comfort him.
"Over that moment, no, over the ones previous, of course I did. I should have seen it coming."
"I don't think so." She said shaking her head.
"My job is to protect people." He explained.
"How could you have known? Isn't this lab normally a safe place? And could you really have seen that last shooter?"
"I suppose that's true, I just don't think logic is going to do much in this situation."
"No you're probably right." She agreed.
Tony hadn't expected himself to open up to this woman he barely knew so quickly, not at all really. Maybe she was just one of those naturally insightful people. The type you feel comfortable telling everything. But that in combination with her being a scientist was unusual. She was supposed to believe in logic right? Constants, not fluctuating emotions. But then again NCIS wasn't exactly usual.
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