Notes:

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea and the pictures. Thanks for betaing to Mianmaru! :3

In the line of duty

2002

He found himself in front of the well-known house. How often had he went in and taken his favorite spot on the stairs? He couldn't count it anymore but not today. Today was different. If he did go in now, he wouldn't be able to bring himself to go through with his plan.

He looked at his packed bags. He needed to leave, he needed to go as far as possible. He needed to forget.

"Semper fi, boss." He whispered into the loneliness of his car and drove off.

2004

"Gibbs, I need you to fly to Iraq. There is a dead Marine, circumstances unclear. The CO. wants us to have a closer look at it." Morrow told him without a greeting as Gibbs stepped into the director's office. He eyed the other to see if there was more to come.

"Your flight leaves in three hours. Take one of your team with you. I suggest McGee is staying here to handle the communication. Destination is Camp Baharia."

"Dreamland?" Gibbs gut clenched and he narrowed his eyes.

"Yes, Dreamland. Do you have any problem with that?"

"I'll take Jackson with me."

"You mean Johnson? The guy's name is Johnson." Morrow shook his head.

"Whatever."

He took the case file from the director and let his eyes flicker over the few details provided. He had a bad feeling. To be honest his gut was screaming not to do this. But he couldn't quite put a finger on the why. The file didn't give him any reason to feel this way.

He went back to the bullpen to fill the others in. Gibbs was stopping at the beginning of the stairs, looking down at his agents. Cait was walking over to Jackson's desk, leaning against it. McGee was teasing the younger and she joyfully joined in. With a smile Jackson defended himself, not letting them get away with it. It was always like this and Gibbs did know it meant they were getting along well.

He went down the stairs.

"We got a new case. Dead Marine." He ended the banter of his agents, as he walked into the bullpen.

All three started to gear up. "McGee show me his record." Gibbs threw the file on his desk and sat behind his own.

"Are we not going?" Cait ask as she saw him sit down.

"We are." He returned, inwardly smiling about the confused faces around him.

"Lance Corporal Simon Baker. 22 years old. Only living relative Mother Eren Baker. Perfect record. Deployed overseas, Camp Baharia." McGee summed up as he let the record show up on the screen between his and Jackson's desk. Gibbs was studying the Marines picture.

"Where did they find him if he is deployed overseas?" Jackson inquired.

"Falludscha." Tim answered reading the file.

"Falludscha? Oh, don't tell me we are going to Camp Baharia, Gibbs!" Cait frowned as she walked towards the screen. Jackson joined her and both were eyeing the information in front of them.

"We are." His gut was protesting. Gibbs still tried to figure out why he was so uneasy about this case. Something was not good and he had to find out soon otherwise it would normally end in a disaster. Most likely a fatal disaster.

"Oh…" She frowned again and turned to him, having an uneasy look on her face. He pushed away the unpleasant feeling and got to his feet.

"Jackson go pack! We are flying in two hours." He walked through the bullpen towards the elevators.

"What?"

Gibbs glared at him. "Uhm… I mean, yes, Gibbs." The other agents smiled silently.

*/*

He liked flying in a cargo plane. The uncomfortable seats, the rattling of metal, it made him feel, like in old times, in Marine times. He glanced around. Jackson, next to him looked like crap. Slightly green and with tightly closed eyes, a groan escaping him every time the plane shook. Gibbs couldn't suppress a grin.

"You alright, Jackson?"

"Y-yes, Gi… hmpf… Gibbs." Came the weak answer and the older relaxed back, willing his body into sleep but the nagging feeling in the depth of his stomach made it a difficult task. What was it? Something in the back of his mind empathized 'Dreamland' over and over again. Something was there but he couldn't get a hold on it. At least he had time enough to think about it. 15 hours should be enough to get his mind sorted and hopefully find a hint.

He must have faded away eventually, he noticed as one of the plane crew shook him awake.

"We're about to touch down. 20 minutes left, Sir." He just nodded in response. He needed a coffee, very badly. Annoyed by the lack of coffee and the bad feeling returning to his gut, he muttered under his breath. Thank god, Jackson was clever enough not to talk to him.

The landing was as rough as in his memories. The plane rattled and rocked and with a hard bump made contact with the ground, jumping a few times. Satisfaction spread within him. Good old times.

Outside the plane a young Corporal greeted them, "Agents Gibbs and Johnson? I'm Corporal Hanson. I'll bing you to Camp Baharia."

"I need coffee." Gibbs growled.

"A few meters down there is the cafeteria. We can stop there on our way out." Hanson offered, pointing down the street.

"No, I'm gonna walk. Jackson you take care of our things." The older stated, he definitely needed a bit of exercise.

"I'm not sure if you are allowed to walk around here on your own." The Corporal called after him but he didn't care and just waved his hand, walking away.

It was hot and dusty, the houses he passed were built out of either metal or clay. Soldiers and airport staff were running around busy. No one even bothered to asked him who he was.

A few minutes later, the jeep with Jackson and the Corporal pulled up next to him. Keeping his pace.

"You sure you don't want to get into the jeep?" Jackson asked.

"Sure!" Gibbs grumbled walking on, while the car was steadily driving next to him.

"There it is." The Corporal informed him, as they came to a big metal building. Wordlessly he went into the cafeteria, ignoring the others in the jeep entirely.

"Coffee." He barked at the staff behind the counter, annoyed by the boys outside and the bad feeling that had already taken over most of his body. This would make him feel better. He took the cup and threw a few bills on the counter.

The first sip was freeing and he sighed deeply. Now he just had to get his gut under control and all would be good.

Pleased, he jumped into the waiting jeep. Jackson had climbed into the back of it so he could take the front seat. Good boy.

The drive wasn't long and the landscape offered the desert as sole view. Sometimes a few huts but nothing special.

*/*

The camp was located around a lake. Gibbs saw different departments as they drove through. The motor pool, the storage area, containers, some undefined corrugated-iron huts, tents and a few clay buildings. In between, he spotted piles of wooden boxes, now and then.

They entered an area with neatly lined up, small barracks colored in sand tones, covered and shielded with camouflage nets, like most of the metal buildings.

Soon the jeep stopped in front of one of them.

"This is our command center." The Corporal informed him. Gibbs just nodded.

The air was dry and sandy. He didn't want to be deployed here. It wasn't his climate. He made his way through the metal door without waiting for the others, taking a deep breath as he entered the cold room.

It was equipped with many technical devices. He noticed several radio units, tracking systems and different computers, most of them operated by soldiers. In the middle of the room was a big table, on it several maps spread out and some papers. A Major was bent over a part of a map, talking to a Sergeant Major. Corporal Hanson passed him, approaching the table, as Jackson arrived next to Gibbs.

"Sir." Hanson saluted as the Major looked at him. "The NCIS agents are here." The other man nodded and walked towards Gibbs.

The CO. was a man his age, who had clearly seen enough for more than one life. His face was telling Gibbs, he had been in more than one battle and had seen more than one good man die.

"Hello, Major Benjamin Richards, CO. Glad to see you here." The other offered his hand. "Agents Gibbs and Jackson, NCIS." Gibbs introduced both, while he shook it.

"Your reputation precedes you, Gunnery Sergeant!"

"Now it is just Gibbs."

"Fine, Gibbs. I guess you want to see your quarters and then go to work?" He nodded in response, even though he would have preferred to start right away. "Corporal Hanson will show you. Later you will meet my Second in Command. He will be responsible for everything you need and help you as much as he can. A good man, hell of a guy. Get settled and we meet again in my office at 1400 to fill you in." The older's gut was grumbling.

"Hanson!" The CO barked.

"Sir!" The young guy came to attention.

"Bring our guest to their shack and make sure they have everything they need."

"Sir, yes, Sir." Hanson saluted again and as Richards returned the gesture, he walked towards Gibbs and Jackson to lead them outside.

They walked along the shacks, after they grabbed their bags out of the jeep. The Corporal let them know which barrack was the office of the CO. and the toilets and showers. He also pointed out the private quarters of the Major and the SIC and finally their temporary housing. It was the last barrack at the end of the various Officer's quarters. A few meters further down started the troop accommodation. One could see, that the shacks got gradually bigger on the way, the only exception being their own.

Gibbs took in his surroundings as he entered the small building. He was sure that it was only for temporary guests. One room, no toilets or other sanitations. The furnishing was simple but everything he needed. Three cots, a few empty shelves, a couple of lockers, a big desk and four chairs. Nothing more, nothing less. He dumped his bags and turned to Hanson.

"Tell me, Corporal, what are your CO. and his Second like?"

"Sir?" Hanson was confused.

"Would you die for them?"

"Oh, yes Sir!" Gibbs stared at him. "Especially Troops is one of the finest I ever met. He is always in front row, never let one down, never left one behind. Saved many of us more than once and then turns to make a joke." The younger had a sparkle in his eyes.

"Troops?" He asked annoyed.

"The First Lieutenant, Sir."

"So you trust both with your life?" His eyes narrowed to make sure he wanted the truth.

"Yes, Sir! No doubt there."

"Okay, you can go now." Gibbs growled and the Corporal left the barrack.

"Um... Gibbs, why did you ask him that?" Jackson asked, while he set up the laptops and communication system.

"If you want to know a Commander ask the enlisted men."

"And what did you get out of it?"

"The CO. is in command but it is the SIC we need. It seems as if he is close to his men and I'm sure he knows exactly what is going on among them. So as long as we don't know if the Marine was killed in the line of duty or murdered, we stick to the First Lieutenant to enlighten us."

"Okay. And all of that you know from just a few questions?" Jackson sounded impressed.

"You just have to ask the right ones." Gibbs was annoyed. The young agent was surely one of the better ones but he also was learning slowly. He should be a lot further in his skills by now. It had been nearly two years now and his progress was minimal. The older convulsed. Not the time to get angry. He normally would have taken Cait with him but in the middle of a warzone was not her place.

"Get ready! I go for coffee." He grumbled as he left the shack.

The skilled investigator took in the terrain again. This part of the base was busy but less so than he had expected. Supposedly, there were patrol units out. He walked towards a soldier near by.

"Marine, where do I get coffee?"

"Down four and one right." The boy answered pointing down the lane. He started to walk, guessing the soldier ment the buildings. He passed some soldiers, sitting in front their quarters and overheard a talk about a woman. He smiled to himself. Other Marines talked about the presence of the NCIS in camp, while working out between the buildings. News spread fast in camps like this.

He reached the cafeteria, glad to be out of the heat, again.

Gibbs asked for a cup of coffee and then slammed into a nearby chair. The clock showed 1330. His gut continuously demanded to leave and he still didn't have any clue why. Something was about to happen, he could feel that but what? He let his mind go wild, hoping to find a hint or reason. Time passed and nothing came close to a reasonable point.

Checking his watch, he downed his coffee and headed back to the CO's office.

Looking around, he didn't notice anything special, an ordinary Office. A desk with laptop, book shelves, a few chairs, pictures on the wall. Standing in one corner was the Sergeant Major, he had seen in the command center earlier. He felt annoyance rise.

"Is your SIC not supposed to be here?" He growled, eager to start on the case.

"He is. Don't know what he is doing yet again… Sometimes he is a real pain in the ass." Richards growled back. "Jeffrey, go find-"

"I'm here, Ben." The voice of the 1st Lieutenant was low but steady as the man entered the room. Gibbs closed his eyes. Anger and disbelief rose in him. Every muscle in his body tensed. This couldn't possibly be. Now he knew why his gut was protesting and it had all right to do so. He had sworn he would kill the man owning this voice, if he saw him ever again. His features hardened, as he turned to look at the SIC. Sand-colored steel helmet, sunglasses, headset, functional bulletproof vest, desert uniform and a machine gun hanging on his side. Gibbs was thinking about the possibility of him not being him. He couldn't tell.

"Just got in from patrol. Didn't even change." The voice was so familiar though. Gibbs hands tightened into fists.

"May I introduce, my Second in Command, First Lieutenant Anthony DiNozzo." The Major sounded annoyed, as Tony took down his glasses and helmet.

The green eyes settled on blue once.

"Hi, boss." The younger smiled weakly.

Gibbs hit him right on the jaw and it felt so good.

"GIBBS!" Richards and Jackson called out in horror and the Sergeant Major started to hurry in his direction. But Tony's smile just became bigger as he rubbed his chin, moving it a bit.

"I guess, I owed you that." The 1st Lt. shook his head. "Are we good now?" The older just growled in return.

"Good." Tony looked at his CO. "As you can guess, Gibbs and I know each other already." Seeing the worried look of the Major, he added, "It's all fine."

"If you say so." Richards glanced at Gibbs and he just nodded curtly. "Okay, Troops. Then fill them in."

Tony had gotten rid of his rifle, vest and uniform shirt in the meantime. He was now standing in front of Gibbs in a fit, green shirt that almost made him forget his rising anger about the Major using a nickname for Tony. DiNozzo had changed, there was no doubt. He thought briefly how he would look now in a tight suit. Gibbs wondered if a bit of his old SFA was still existing or if there was now only a 1st Lt. left.

"We went on patrol, with the order to clear some houses used by rebels. We went into one of them. I took the rooms to the right, together with three others, and signaled three of the boys to take the upper floor and the remaining three, under them Lance Corporal Baker, to go to the left. We searched the rooms as the first shots went off. I asked over the intercom about the situation. They were pretty much in panic. It's the first service for the most. At least with heavy enemy contact. So I decided to let the other boys do the remaining rooms and go see what I could do to help. As I arrived, a suspect was just about to flee out of the back door. Baker lay on the ground, Ward and Nolan were on the way to follow the dirt bag. We caught him and the others reported the rest of the house clear. Then I checked on Baker, dead." The 1st Lt. ended the report.

Gibbs eyed him closely to see if he was hiding something but could not see anything.

"Sounds like dead in the line of duty." He grunted.

"Might be... Might be friendly fire… the boys were in panic but actually my gut tells me there is more, Gibbs."

"I'll hope so. Otherwise you're dead, DiNozzo! I did not come here just to say 'hello', especially not to you." His gaze was hard. Tony just rolled his eyes and sighed. "Of course not, boss."

"Stop that! Don't like you calling me boss."

"Okay, Gibbs." The younger stressed his name in an angry way.

"We need to get the body to Ducky." The older growled through gritted teeth, enraged by his former SFA. "Our ME." He added for Richards.

"I will take care of that." The Major jumped in.

"Further we have to talk to the soldiers who were in the operation. Starting with… Ward and Nolan."

"I arrange that." Tony nodded. Gibbs left the office without another word. He wanted to scream at him, to beat him until his anger died down. Now he knew why 'Dreamland' had floated through his mind. He had read DiNozzo's name in a report about the camp, but had it driven out as fast as possible. Erased it, like he had done with the entire man. He had pretended he had never crossed his way. Never existed. And now… there he was. Smiling at him like nothing had happened.

"Are you alright?" Jackson nearly made him jump. He had totally forgotten about the agent.

"Yes! Get me Ducky on the line!" He barked in return and looked as the younger twitched and hurried to do as he was ordered.

Notes: I know, to join the Marines you have to be under 28 but let's just pretend Tony would be 27 in 2002.

I tried to be as exact as possible with the details in the story but it wasn't easy to find information even in times of internet and so on. And personally I have no knowledge filed away of the Marine corps. German armed forces are totally different. :)

I also want to point out I tried to be as respectful as possible concerning the Marines and soldiers in general. Everyone serving or having served has my greatest respect.

Notes: I know, to join the Marines you have to be under 28 but let's just pretend Tony would be 27 in 2002.

I tried to be as exact as possible with the details in the story but it wasn't easy to find information even in times of internet and so on. And personally I have no knowledge filed away of the Marine corps. German armed forces are totally different. :)

I also want to point out I tried to be as respectful as possible concerning the Marines and soldiers in general. Everyone serving or having served has my greatest respect.

Notes:

I know, to join the Marines you have to be under 28 but let's just pretend Tony would be 27 in 2002.
I tried to be as exact as possible with the details in the story but it wasn't easy to find information even in times of internet and so on. And personally I have no knowledge filed away of the Marine corps. German armed forces are totally different. :)
I also want to point out I tried to be as respectful as possible concerning the Marines and soldiers in general. Everyone serving or having served has my greatest respect.