A/N Earth dragon was as usual absolutely right….
("Stillwell…one of Mapps' children?" Tim asked. That would explain everything. Mapp was known in Arthurian tales as the lady of the lake, a water based spirit. It would make sense one of her children would join the Navy.)
Mapp should have read MAB and she was supposed to be the 'mother' of the lady in the lake as ED rightly pointed out is Nimue.
Oh and for the record, Vance is Gaia's son; Tim's mother is his sister. Hence Vance is his uncle.
I know I am taking (MAJOR) liberties, but it was based on my crazy dream the other night, so please bear with me. For everyone else who nicely left a review thank you and yeah; W.T.F?! (Twitter reactions) Pretty much covers this story. :P lol.
Also for the record I do not believe in harming animals and I love rats. They are cute and smart.
Chapter 2.
Gibbs kept glancing at McGee all morning, something was off about his junior agent, and he kept stealing glances up towards the director's office as if he were expecting something to happen. He wasn't concentrating on the case at all and he'd had to call him on it twice already.
"McGee!" Gibbs snapped for a third time.
"Sorry boss." Tim said jumping as he was called, "I really don't have anything I can share." He said quickly.
Tony looked over at him, "Not even a credit card receipt?" he asked amazed.
"Well, yeah, but…nothing unusual."
Gibbs sighed, "Coffee…I need coffee." He got up.
"Gibbs!" Vance called as he walked down the stairs. "I need you and your team to stay here." He said.
He walked over to Tim, "I got permission, they are coming here." He told his Nephew.
Tim blinked in surprise, "h…here!" he almost squeaked out. For some reason Tim had envisaged this meeting taking place in Gibbs' house, preferably in a locked basement.
Vance nodded; he picked up the phone on Tim's desk and typed in a code. Suddenly his voice was heard over the loud speaker. "This is the Director. The building is to be cleared immediately with the exceptions of Ms Sciuto, Dr. Mallard and Dr, Palmer. Who should join me in the MCRT's bullpen." He ordered.
Gibbs and Tony looked as the other agents in the building got up and left their desks exiting the building.
"What the hell is going on?" Gibbs growled.
"I have some people coming to help with your case." Vance told him.
"The….they're all coming, the whole council!" Tim said the fear evident in his voice.
Vance smiled the same smile Gibbs had seen him give his children… full of love. "Don't worry little one you are under my protection."
Tim sighed and his shoulders relaxed.
'Little one?' Tony mouthed to Gibbs who shook his head in confusion.
"Your father also." Vance told Tim as a man came in with crates of lab rats.
Tim's eyes widened "But the rule!"
"That's why the rats." Vance told him and Tim relaxed a bit.
Ducky, Jimmy and Abby joined them and Vance motioned them all to take seats as Tim got up to stand behind him.
"This case, this case is beyond top secret, what I am about to tell you is so secret the President isn't read in, he doesn't have high enough clearance." Vance started.
Gibbs leaned against the desk and looked at the determined face of Vance and the terrified face of McGee.
"What is it that has my junior agent afraid of his own shadow?" Gibbs asked
"I'm an anomaly boss, I shouldn't exist." Tim said Vance shot him a reproachful look.
"The world you know Gibbs is not all there is, there are sub worlds known as Ne'er worlds?" Vance told him straight out.
Tim raised an eyebrow, "Uncle?"
"Uncle?" Tony asked looking confused from Tim to Vance.
Vance held up his hand, "All in good time, I am trying to prepare you."
Gibbs glared at Tim, who realized he needed to speed things up for his boss. "You remember the legends from when you were younger, heaven, hell, the Gods, the Goddesses, Zeus, death, Gaia, the Arthurian legends…they are all real." Tim said quickly.
Gibbs raised an eyebrow and waited.
"Well." Gibbs said unimpressed.
Vance stopped and looked up as the room got darker and the building shook, "They are coming." He said and stepped back as the wall in front of them seemed to disappear and was replaced by a group of strange people.
Vance stood in front of the group. Tim moved closer to his boss.
A tall extremely old looking man walked in, followed by a beautiful woman wearing foliage in her hair, another beautiful woman with dark eyes and a dark cloak and a man in a trench coat wearing a black fedora who stood apart from the group and a few other regal men and women appeared.
"Mother…Elders." Vance said and bowed in deference to the guests.
The oldest man looked at Vance, "Leon, Gaia's son…we wish to know why we were called here,"
Tim stood forward. "Rage is accused of killing Judson Stillwell."
The older man looked angry, "Why is the abomination talking to me."
Tim lowered his head and moved back.
"He is the youngest of us all and a good person." Vance argued.
"HE IS THE SON OF DEATH!" The Elder raged.
The others gasped in surprise as Tim bowed his head ashamed.
Vance placed a hand on his shoulder as the council member in the trench coat shot daggers at the Head Elder.
"Judson Stillwell was Nimue's son, one of Mabs' children."
The elder turned to the man in the trench coat, "Your son's need to be held accountable."
"NO!" Tim took a deep breath and stood his ground. "There is a chance he is innocent, when my father took Judson over, he said that Rage had turned up on the ship where he was, the water is not our domain, we are for the most part forbidden to go there. Rage was summoned, there is a mortal hand in this, and I need permission to allow the team access to all the information and if needed entrance into the Ne'er."
The elder looked at Tim like he was a piece of dirt, "Granted. But you will be responsible for keeping them safe if they enter the Ne'er."
Then he turned to the man in the trench coat, "Your mess, and your sons you can stay." He said. They others faded out. Except for the woman with the foliage who lingered for a few moments.
"Leon." She held open her arms.
"Mother." He held her gaining strength from her strength. She looked at Tim. "You are well?" she asked.
Tim bowed, "Yes Ma'am."
Gaia smiled a little, "Your mother will be pleased to hear it."
"May I….please, just once…see her?" Tim asked his voice full of longing.
Gaia shook her head, "No little one that is her punishment. I know she touches you occasionally, I feel her reach out to you. Be grateful I allow you that time each year."
Tim lowered his head sadly as his grandmother turned to go. She stopped and looked at the single man left, glowered at him and the earth shook and she faded past him in a rush of wind.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!" Gibbs growled from behind them
"That was my mother; this is what Timothy was trying to tell you." Vance said.
Gibbs tried to compose himself and he looked at the man in the trench coat. "Agent Gibbs, I have heard much about you." He said.
Gibbs looked at this strange man, "So who are you and how can you help with my case."
"I took Judson" he said simply.
Vance looked at the man. "Before you work with them you know the rule."
"I cannot be any less than I am." Death said, "But none of your agents will die, unless it is there time."
Gibbs looked at the man guardedly, "Director, you think this man is a danger to my agents and he just admitted to killing Judson Stillwell why are we not taking him into custody?"
"I did not kill the man, it was his time and I took him."
Tony drew his gun, "You're a cold blooded killer."
"NO!" Tim stood between his team mate and his father. "Father, take a rat or two, Uncle has provided them for your visit. I will explain."
Tim turned to Tony who was watching as Death walked over to the tank and waved a hand and a few of the rats died.
Death sighed and took a chair and watched his boy at work.
Tim turned to the others, "My father does not kill people, people die it is a natural fact of life, he is not a murderer, he takes people souls over to the Ne'er or beyond when they have died."
Tony looked over at Abby who uncharacteristically hadn't said a word.
She was sat in Tim's chair her eyes wide and hand over her mouth.
"Abbs?" Tim said walking up to her, "Please I'm sorry." He went to touch her and she shrank back.
Gibbs moved behind her. "Abby?"
"It's all true," she breathed in shock, "When you first talked in your sleep, I thought you were dreaming, I used to listen in but it's all true….Death is your father and your mother is…."
"Abby!" Tim snapped.
"But Timmy, it's so sad, she's your mother and you only get to feel her presence once a year, you've never even seen her."
"I can't Abbs, it's the law." Tim replied sadly.
Death looked unflinchingly at his son; he supposed this would be one of those points where if he'd had emotions he would have felt something for the pain his son was in.
Ducky walked over to Tim and put his hand on his shoulder, "No matter whose son you are you are still my friend and I will be glad to have your unique input on this case."
Tim gave a small smile and stepped away from Abby and Gibbs.
"So, who is Rage?" Jimmy asked having stood unnoticed at the back of the group.
Tim sighed, "Rage is one of my brothers."
"You have brothers?" Tony asked.
Tim nodded. "Rage, Lust, Envy and Chaos."
"And you just got called Tim?"
Tim smiled, "Mother named me after her uncle, my name is Time. I just liked Timothy better."
"Who was her uncle?" Gibbs asked
"Kronos." Tim replied.
Death stood and yawned, Another Rat dropped dead, "So son, Are you going to try to talk to Rage, I do not believe he would kill another Ne'er worlder."
Tim glared at his father, "We do not make assumptions, Find Rage, tell him we'll meet him at the inn."
Vance looked over at Tim, "You are not bringing him here?"
Tim laughed, "Would you?"
Vance gave a smile back, "You are right, The Inn would be the safest place to talk to him. Fill the team in on the rules of The Inn."
Vance turned and headed back to his office not even acknowledging that Death had vanished and all the rats in the tank were now dead.
Gibbs walked over to Tim, "OK Rule 38 is in play, these are your people, and your world, fill us in."