Hi folks,
Sorry for the long intro but I felt this one needed a bit of an explanation.
It
is AU and m
This
entire fic was born from a dream I had one night last week. It was
easily the longest and most detailed dream I've had in a very long
time and it was all about NCIS. The moment I woke up I started
writing it down and most of what you'll read here is from the dream
itself, everything from the flashing back and forth to some of the
dialogue. All of it showed up in my dream. I've simply added to it to
make the story run together better and tacked an end on it.
I should also mention that my biological clock must be ticking like crazy recently because this is the second fic I've done in a month with a baby in it. Though then again it could have something to do with the fact that many of my friends had babies this year and I've spent a lot of time playing with them. Who knows?
So
here goes my experiment in "dream writing"....
Chapter One
Gibbs got out of his car, the first one to arrive on the scene. The address was familiar. Too familiar. He didn't want to know what he would find inside the small home. A neighbor had called in, reporting shots fired. The LEOs had found one body and an ID. Once they knew it was an NCIS case, they had left the body where it was. Leaving the house quickly, they were careful not to disturb the scene. They knew what NCIS was like when their crime scene had been compromised.
Gibbs thought about the facts that he knew from the call.
One body.
Which one?
Did it matter?
He didn't want to find either.
He walked in alone, drawing his weapon though he knew he'd find no one else in the house. As he walked by the driveway he saw the sedan was gone, the Mustang the only car parked in front. Did that mean he knew who he'd find inside? No, not necessarily. Either one of them could have taken the sedan.
Gibbs didn't want to go in but knew that he had to do it. He couldn't leave it to the rest of his team to find what was in there. He didn't like it but it was his job. He had to soften the blow. Nothing would take away the pain that was to come. The best he could do was to make it a little easier. Give them the news before they had to see it.
He walked past the living room, down the hall towards the house's two bedrooms. That's where he found her.
She was sitting up against the wall. Her eyes looked straight ahead. Gibbs saw fear and shock in her face. She hadn't expected this. Then again, who would?
Something was wrong though. More wrong that the bullet hole in her forehead and the dead stare in her eyes. Looking at her, Gibbs saw something was….different.
He noticed many things at once. The flatness of her stomach. The overnight bag by the door. The infant car seat box opened, its contents strewn about as if someone had been in a hurry to set it up. Then one final item caught his attention.
The hospital wristband on her arm.
Gibbs remembered the blinking light on his cell phone that morning. He'd turned it off after finishing with the boat the previous night, sure that his ex would call again - the message light that morning only confirmed his suspicions. Now he knew that the call must have come from Tony.
Gibbs had apparently missed the happy announcement.
If that were true then…
Gibbs jumped up to a standing position, gun held ready again, walking towards the nursery. He entered the room silently, though not as silent as the room itself. Not having a clear view into the crib at first, he felt and heard his heart pounding against his own chest as he stepped forward slowly, barely daring to look inside.
Please God…. Gibbs thought.
Two feet away from the crib he finally got a view inside and found a newborn sleeping soundly, full and happy, with no idea of what had just happened to his mother. Gibbs lowered his gun in relief.
NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS
7 months earlier….
"You want to explain this?" Gibbs threw a piece of paper in front of Tony, making the younger man jump. He hadn't even been aware that his boss had entered the room.
"What is it, Boss?" Tony asked, reaching for the paper curiously. He saw the title at the top and his eyes flew open.
"How?" Tony asked quietly.
"The Director had me doing paperwork, a routine Evaluation. When I do that I have to…"
"Pull the agent's current records, do a fresh background search." Tony finished Gibbs' sentence. He couldn't believe his luck. They'd wanted to tell him themselves, not have him find out like that.
"Well would you believe that we had Abby do it for an undercover assignment?" Tony asked with a quick grin.
Gibbs didn't smile back.
"Nah, I didn't think so." Tony replied.
"You got MARRIED??" Gibbs asked incredulously.
"Boss, listen…" Tony began soothingly, holding both hands up.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"We know how you feel about this kind of thing, Boss."
"There's a reason for that, DiNozzo"
"We know but this is different."
"I've never seen a relationship work within a team before." Gibbs said sadly, shaking his head.
"Neither have we. That's why…." Tony hesitated, clearing his throat nervously.
"What?"
"Kate's going to quit NCIS."
Gibbs was shocked. Kate was one of the most dedicated agents he'd ever seen, male or female. For her to give it all up must mean she'd been talked into it. He slammed his fist on Tony's desk.
"Give up her career? Did you ask her to do this??"
"No it's not like that," Tony said calmly. "This was her decision, Gibbs. She wants this, knows it will be best for…"
"For who? You?" Gibbs was furious. "What? Couldn't stand the thought of your wife working in a dangerous job? Good enough for you but not her?"
Gibbs wasn't prepared for the look of shock and hurt on Tony's face but he barreled on anyway. It was his way when angry, letting words fly without caring about the consequences.
"Gibbs it's not like that." Tony repeated quietly.
"What's it like, then? You tell me DiNozzo."
Kate…" Tony hesitated, wary of what Gibbs might do to him when he heard the next piece of news.
"What?"
"She's pregnant."
To be continued……