"Did I say 'publicist' or 'pharmacist?'" Griffon asked as she skated down the streets of Washington D.C. She stopped in front of a pharmacy just as Grant walked out the doors with a boy at his side & a prescription bag in his hand. "I think I told Aunt Abby that I was going to see a publisher." She told him & took the bag.

"That's because we're going to see Crawshaw. Why don't you just tell them the truth?" Grant asked.

Griffon took off her backpack & shoved the bag down into it. "It's a shame."

"It's been five months since you got this thing." Grant stated as the group continued down the street. "They have a right to know about your memory loss."

"It's getting better, but I still can't remember things that happen five minutes ago." Griffon told him in hopes of dropping the discussion.

The boy spoke up. "It's the same way with most kids who watch TV." he chuckled.

Griffon pointed at the boy. "Okay, seriously Grant, who's the dude?"

The boys stopped dead in their tracks with worried expressions. "You don't recognize him?" Grant asked.

"No." Griffon let out a nervous chuckle. "Why? Should I?"

The-D.C.-Dance-Academy!

"This is…Wicked. It's like my dad's work." Aria exclaimed.

Right beside the ballet studio, there was an observation room. It's just like the observation room at NCIS, right beside interrogation.

"So they can't see or hear us?" She asked.

"Yeah." Zane replied. "My momom uses it to do her monthly check ups. If she sees a student that is falling behind or holding their partner back, she calls them to discuss the matter then either drops them or considers extra classes to help them catch up. She barely ever has to drop a student though."

Aria watched the dancers. "That's awfully nice of her. Wait, you never answered my question, you just changed the subject."

Zane rubbed the back of his head. "Oh, yeah, I did, didn't I?" He asked her. Aria nodded & folded her arms. "It's just that, the way that car was driving, I guess it was headed for somewhere important, & I just figured that you must really be interested in going in if you had a car stop when it was driving like that."

Aria smiled & turned back to the dancers. "Yeah, that's my dad for you, he's been working on a pretty important case."

"I see, your dad works for the cops or something?" Zane wondered. He shook his head & walked to the back of the room & opened one of the wardrobes that lined the walls. "It's time for your try-out. Every student has to do a series of moves in order to see what level they are at & which class they belong in."

"I don't really think I can do ballet in a miniskirt & chucks." Aria told him.

Zane walked back over & motioned to the wardrobe. "Select your leotard, maybe a tutu, & slippers." He told her.

Aria gave him a look & moved closer to the wardrobe. Inside was a selection of leotards hanging from the top & ballet slippers on the bottom. "This is an impressive selection." She said as she picked out a red leotard & matching slippers. "Is there somewhere I could change?" she asked.

Zane pointed to the back, left corner. "There's a restroom right over there."

"Thanks." Aria called softly as she went in. In a few minutes she was out & in the clothes. "Okay, name a move." she said.

"How about a list?" Zane asked as he moved to flip the lights on & turn on some music. "First arabesque, chasse, pirouette en arabesque, pique tourne en dehors, rond de jambe en tourne saute, & pique tourne en dedans. Can you do those?"

"Absolutely." Aria said. She thought of the steps as she did them. Arabesque with right leg raised forward diagonally, a step where one foot chases another, spin using both feet, with right leg in arabesque, lift right leg in a Y shape & spin, draw a half circle with one leg while stepping, step with left leg & spin with left leg to the back.

Zane stopped the music & clapped. "That was better than I expected."

"That's because instead of first arabesque, I did an arabesque ecarte devant & instead of an pique tourne en dehors, I did an encarte fouette. It's my own little personalization to the first Giselle variation." Aria explained.

"If only momom could have seen that. It was amazing! I can almost guaranty you'll get accepted. Hold on & I'll get the sign-up papers." Zane called & ran out the door.

Aria's cell phone rang, playing 'Everyday Superhero' by Smash Mouth. She flipped it open & held her ear. "Hey, dad, where are you?"

"Standing in front of the building, waiting for you to come out. Whatever you're doing, you need to hurry up or we'll leave you here." Gibbs's voice came from the phone.

"I'm leaving now." Aria stated & snapped the phone shut, rushing back into the restroom. As she came back out, Zane handed her a small stack of papers. "Listen, I gotta go. My dad is waiting for me outside."

Zane nodded. "I understand. Can I see you here tomorrow?"

"Of course." Aria called back to him & ran out the door to meet her godfather.

"What were you doing?" Gibbs asked.

Aria smiled & climbed into the back seat of his car. "Signing up for dance class. Hey, guys, who's the chick?"

Now-to-the-lab!

Graeae walked into Abby's lab. The only person in there, aside from the animals & herself, was McGee. "Hey, Uncle Tim."

McGee groaned. "Not you too."

"What, Griff's calling you 'Uncle Tim' too?" Graeae asked as she but her blue backpack down & pulled something out. "You know what? Forgot it, I need you to run these samples for any toxins." She handed the samples to McGee. "One hair sample, one blood sample."

"Why?" McGee asked. "It's more Abby's department than it is mine."

"Well, I don't see Abby here, do you? She's in court." Graeae asked, looking around the room.

"Right, I'll tell her." McGee told her.

Graeae turned to the door. "No need. Ladies, Gentlemen, & McGeeks, I bring to you the lovely, gothic, genius. The soon to be Mrs. Abigail Harpy Sciutto McGee!" Graeae announced as Abby entered the lab again.

McGee turned to look at her. "I thought you were in court." he stated, seeing that she was in her regular platform boots & studded dog collar.

"Again with the court suit, McGee?" Abby asked.

"I'll leave you two to your flirting game." Graeae said & walked out with Abba & Alvin.

In-the-main-office! (Or whatever you call it!)

Aria, Grant, & Griffon each sat at a desk. Griffon sat at McGee's, subconsciously petting Mika; Grant sat at DiNozzo's, flipping through a magazine he found in one of the drawers; Aria sat at Gibbs's, drinking a coffee & scribbling info down on papers; Ziva sat at Ziva's, being Ziva. Graeae walked in just as Aria threw away her coffee & set down her pen.

"Hey, let me take the dogs on a walk." Aria told Graeae as she picked the papers & began walking out.

"Sure." Graeae said, giving the leashes to her friend.

"We have a visitor." Grant informed. Graeae looked at him for clarification. "Phoenix is here."

"Yes, yes I am." A voice said. Graeae looked around the corner of the desk where, sitting on the floor, was the Phoenix Thackeray Lesser.

Phoenix had platinum blonde hair that was riddled with streaks of green & emerald eyes to match. He wore a green jacket over a yellow & orange shirt, brown jeans(they exist), & red tennis shoes. Graeae smiled remembering why he wore those five colours: They were Griffon's favourite colours, & if Griffon loved anything, then apparently so did he.

"Hey, why aren't you sitting with your girl?" Graeae asked. The two were dating after all.

Grant pulled Graeae over to him, where she promptly tripped over Phoenix & landed in his lap. "Her memory is getting worse. She doesn't remember him." Grant whispered in her ear.

Graeae hopped up & pulled up Grant with her. "We'll be right back, Griff. Phoenix, up boy." She patted her legs like she were talking to Abba or Alvin.

"Ha…Ha…Ha!" Phoenix said. He stood up & followed Graeae as she pulled Grant down the hall & into the open elevator doors. "Where are we going?"

"My aunt's lab. She's doing me a favour by testing some samples. I wanna watch." Graeae answered. She turned to Grant & slapped him in the face. "That was for what I saw you reading. That stuff is disgusting."

"Ow!" Grant yelled & shrunk into the corner to hold his sore cheek. "Meany."

Graeae giggled, walking back over to the cornered boy & pinching the red cheek. "Oh, does it hurt?" She asked in a baby voice.

Grant winced. "Ya think?" Grant closed his eyes tight while Graeae inched closer.

Instead of hitting him, like Grant & Phoenix thought she would do, she kissed his cheek & patted it softly. "Serves you right." She told him in a sour tone, spinning around just as the doors opened again & marching out.

"She hates me." Grant moaned. "My boss, the girl of my dreams, my best friend, & she hates me."

Phoenix pushed him out of the elevator. "Don't give yourself so much credit. I'm supposed to be the number one on the twins' most wanted list. Listen, Griff & I were always at each others' throats. We were Beast Boy & Raven, Jackie & Hyde, Tony & Kate, Mandark & Dexter, Carmen & Max, Maggie & Brighton, Timmy & Vicky, Naruto & Sasuke, Mario & Wario, Sonic & Eggman, Freddie & Jason, Su-"

"I get it." Grant interrupted. "Get to the point."

Phoenix shrugged. "You shouldn't have been reading that magazine, you're a little too goody-goody to look through Playpen."

"Helpful." Grant said as he leaned against the wall.

The boy had to get this over with. "We liked each other, but hated the thought of being in love. You guys are comfortable hanging out together like a boyfriend & girlfriend do, you just never notice & are too afraid to admit that you're something more. Now can I talk to you about Griffon or do I have to ask Graeae?"

"Is it about her memory or about your 'relationship?'" Grant asked his friend.

"The second one." Phoenix mumbled, hitting his heel against the floor.

Grant pointed to the lab door. "Out, get out of my sight & talk to the girl about your feelings for her identical twin sister."

End-of-chapter.

Interrogation in the next chap. along with the secret to Griffon's memory & the first pas de deux class. Oh, & we'll be stopping to unpack at the hotel & Aria goes out to spy on Abby & McGee, only to end up on a date herself to save her cover. And if I don't get a flame by the time the chapter after this one is up than I will STOP writing this story.