Epilogue

Three weeks later...

The house was examined and found to have the fungus growing in all the walls, in the attic and, particularly, in the basement. The level of contamination was so high that the house was officially condemned. The auction was called off because no one was even allowed to enter the home without hazmat gear.

Lt. Mason was still recovering from lengthy exposure to the ergot alkaloids. Tim and Ellie recovered more quickly because their exposure while serious had not been as long. Tim's recovery took a little longer than Ellie's simply because Lt. Mason's scratch had put some of the alkaloids in Tim's blood.

But time was the greatest healer and they were all getting back to normal.

...almost.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Ellie walked out of NCIS and looked over toward the river. She saw Tim sitting on a bench, facing away from the building. They were both just back at work on desk duty. She had thought Tim had already gone home. They hadn't really talked much. Jake had been hovering like a mother hen and Tim had been rather reserved once he was back in his right mind again. Whatever lingering issues he had, he hadn't shared... at least not with her. Ellie took a breath and then walked over.

"Hey," she said. "Room for two?"

Tim jumped and looked back at her. He smiled a little and then scooted over. Ellie sat down by him. For a few minutes, they were both silent, just looking at the Anacostia.

"How's it going for you?" Ellie asked, finally.

"Okay," Tim said. "I still get this crawling sensation every so often and really intense dreams."

"I get those, too," Ellie said.

Another long silence. Ellie was about to give up on trying to talk about it, but then, Tim started talking again.

"That's not what bothers me," he said.

"What does?"

"The part I can't explain."

"What do you mean?"

Tim faced her.

"You saw the raven. Lt. Mason saw the raven. I saw it. Tony and Gibbs saw it."

"Yeah."

"But no one else did."

"So? It was just part of the delusions."

"How could it be?" Tim asked.

Ellie's brow furrowed. "How could it not be?"

"If it was, why did we all have the same delusion? Why did the raven say the same things to everyone? Lt. Mason wasn't with us when we talked about the poem. And you and I saw the same raven in different places at different times and we still described it the same way. How could that be delusion?"

Ellie opened her mouth to say something but then stopped as what Tim said really hit her.

"Oh," she said, a little lamely.

"Yeah. That's what bugs me. What was that raven? Was it trying to warn us of the danger? But if so, how did it know and why is it that most people didn't even see it?"

"I don't know," Ellie said after another long silence. "I know that ravens were a symbol of intelligence and prophecy in some ancient cultures."

"And?"

"And...as much as I don't really want to say it, maybe it was doing that for us. Communicating as much as it could to us. I mean, ravens can imitate human speech, but from what I've read, they have to be exposed to it. They're not just going to start talking without hearing humans speaking first."

"From what you've read?" Tim asked.

Ellie felt her cheeks growing a little warm. "Well, I'll admit that the talking raven was the part that bothered me the most. ...before now."

Tim smiled a little. "Sorry about that."

"It might be something that we just don't get to understand."

"Yeah. I hate not understanding," Tim said and then stood up, clearly finished with the conversation.

Ellie stood up as well.

"There's one good thing, though," he said as they started walking to the parking lot.

"What?"

"It never said nevermore."

Ellie managed to laugh at the weak joke. "Yeah, I'm okay with that."

As they parted ways, Ellie heard something and looked back over her shoulder.

"Tim," she said softly.

He turned back as well.

Sitting on one of the street lamps was a raven.

The same one?

They both stood silently, looking at it. It perched there, preening its feathers, seemingly unaware of the scrutiny. Then, after a minute or so, it spread its wings and flew away, cawing loudly.

...not saying a word.

Tim and Ellie watched it fly away and then they looked at each other. Ravens were uncommon in the DC area. Was this the same one? Why had it flown here? Questions ran through Ellie's mind and she was sure Tim was had questions as well.

...but the questions remained unasked. Almost by unspoken agreement, they turned away from the departing raven and left.

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted—nevermore!

FINIS!