AU stories for NCIS episodes. Each is independent from all the others since this is all based on the possibility of parallel universes and multiple timelines... many, many of them. Later on some may seem to follow something that happened in an earlier AU episode story, but it's probably coincidence unless I say otherwise in the beginning.

This is #9 - a short alternate universe story/scene for Season 1, episode 9 Marine Down

The original episode aired on December 16, 2003.

The dialogue in much of this is from the episode. It goes AU in the cemetery.

Rating: K+

Category: General

Warnings: Spoilers for episodes, probably just the one that the AU story is about. But down the road who knows?

Disclaimer: I own nothing NCIS. I'm just borrowing the characters for a bit.

And finally, all mistakes are mine.

Kate stated the obvious. "We know Kidwell was murdered."

"And that lying sack of excrement was somehow involved." Tony noticed the disapproval on Kate's face. "What, you prefer I call him a sack of..."

Not letting him continue, Kate jumped in with, "The question now is...what happened to Major Peary? Is he still alive?"

"There's an easy way to check," Gibbs told them.

"What, you think Mrs. Peary is just going to give us permission to dig up his grave?"

Gibbs half smiled and half smirked knowingly. "I don't know, Kate. I wasn't planning on asking her."

"Hey guys!" Abby was all smiles as she came into the squad room.

Gibbs addressed her first. "Abby, you track this guy down?" He indicated Kate's drawing of the fake Colonel up on the plasma.

"Not yet, but I've only heard back from about half of the embassies."

Kate noticed the equipment Abby had brought with her. "What is this thing, Abby?"

"Ground-penetrating radar." With a huge grin Abby inquired, "Gibbs didn't tell you?"

Kate and Tony looked confused before Kate asked, "Tell us what?"

"You're going grave robbing tonight," Abby told them with much glee in her voice.

The cemetery was creepy and a little foggy in the night air.

"This is so not right. I mean, it's not like we couldn't have done this during daylight."

Kate directed the flashlight beam to the temporary grave marker. It was Major Peary's. "You afraid of ghosts, Tony?"

"No, I'm afraid of getting shot for trespassing." A little nervously he gazed into the darkness. "Where the hell is Gibbs?"

From behind and to the left, "Right here."

Tony jumped a little and complained, "Don't do that!"

Unfazed Gibbs asked, "Did you calibrate the radar yet?"

"Just about. Check this out."

Tony directed the equipment to a grave close by. "Oh, yeah. Lookit."

The display revealed a human skeleton.

Kate wanted to know, "What's that by the feet?"

"I don't know," Tony replied.

Gibbs saw it and directed his flashlight beam to the headstone.

"Fluffy," he told them. The pet died the same month as Miss Agatha M. O'Leary.

Kate found it disturbing and yucky. "Ewww!"

"That must have been one lonely old lady," Tony offered.

"Or one pissed-off poodle." Gibbs headed for the grave they cared about. "Okay, bring it over here. Let's see if Major Peary's home."

Tony moved it into position. "All right. Oh, casket's metal, boss. I'm getting some false signatures, but here we go."

Gibbs sighed, "Major Peary," when he saw the bones on the display.

"Now what?" Kate and Tony asked at the same time.

Looking disappointed, Gibbs stared into the blackness, knowing that wishing for a different outcome wouldn't help. He had so wanted Peary to still be alive.

"Now we ask the wife... or get a court order," he whispered to Kate, Tony and the other souls in the darkness.

Late the next day Gibbs and Director Morrow were in MTAC with the Director of the CIA on the screen.

"Those Marines we were talking about the other day... what were they doing in Colombia, Bob?"

"Well, they were part of a task force that was helping the locals hunt down Carlos Morales. He's the head of the Pudo Mayo drug cartel."

"How did they die?"

"Poison. Insurgents kidnapped them. We paid the ransom, but they killed them anyway. It happens."

Gibbs knew in his gut that the CIA agent was dirty. "How much was the ransom, Mr. Director?"

"Two million. Why?"

With a hand signal Morrow got the technician to send the drawing to the CIA director. "Was this the agent responsible for paying it?"

The man looked at it intently and asked, "And if it is?

Gibbs answered, "We think he kept the money for himself, and now he's trying to cover it up."

"Those are pretty bold accusations, Agent Gibbs. Do you have any proof of this?"

"Major Peary was alive three days ago. Major Kidwell was embalmed four days after his funeral. You tell me, sir."

"How do you know?"

Morrow answered, "Newspapers found in the bodies."

"I still don't see."

Gibbs had had enough. "Our ME says Kidwell and Peary were embalmed while they were still alive." He waited a second for that to sink in. "Canton handled the ransom. He impersonated a military officer and an NCIS agent. He lied to us, interrogated Peary's widow and took a shot at me in Coleman Park."

"Where is he, Bob?" Morrow could sympathize with the other director, but they wanted to know.

After several seconds the CIA Director responded. "Well, he's back in Colombia. Look, if any of this turns out to be true, we will handle it. I do not need NCIS playing internal affairs for my agency."

"Understood," Morrow agreed. He nodded to the technician and the live feed ended.

"Jethro, you can't go to Columbia."

"Sir," Gibbs pleaded in frustration. "He killed two men."

Morrow tipped his head forward in agreement, a hard look on his face. "Yes, I believe he did...and the CIA has 10 days to deal with him."

Gibbs was angry, but something told him to have faith in his boss.

Morrow's face softened a bit, "Call your contacts and use NCIS resources to find him and keep tabs."

Suddenly Gibbs was feeling better.

"If Canton is still alive in a couple of weeks, you can go get him," promised Morrow.

End

Thanks for reading. Thanks for reviewing.

Note - Many thanks to VG LittleBear for the comment about the death of the poodle. I went back to the video and the poodle died in the same month, no date, but was probably euthanized right after the lady died. She was 62 and the poodle 8 so both died kind of young. On a personal note I have a great aunt who wants her cats euthanized and cremated right away if they outlive her. They are 19 and 20 though so a little better. Gibbs' comment makes much more sense in both realities now. :)