A/N: This is an AU story. It's one of the stories where I investigate how I can change Tim's history and still have him fit into what we see on the show. I've done it a few times, and this is just another one. It's not extremely long, but it's me trying something a little different. It starts pre-series, and ends in season 3.

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or the characters, and I'm not making money. The recognizable dialogue is the property of the NCIS franchise.

Who I Used to Be
by Enthusiastic Fish

Chapter 1

They walked down the hall, not looking at each other.

"So?" Gibbs asked.

"A murder. Probably a drug deal gone bad."

"And? You didn't call me to help you with your investigation."

"No. We're pretty sure we got the guys responsible."

They stopped at a window and Gibbs got a look at who was inside. The young man sitting on the chair looked too thin and his clothes were old, stained and torn. He had a closed-off expression. He didn't think he was alone, apparently.

"Who is he?" Gibbs asked.

"A kid who's on his way to ruining his life. He just wasn't ready for murder to be a part of it. Yet."

"Yet?"

"He's been in trouble off and on for the last few years, getting worse every time. No family support. The only reason he's not already in prison is because he cares about his sister and hasn't wanted to put anything off on her."

"Parents?"

"None that we've found or that he'll admit to having. No one is listed in his records. If we want to dig deeper, that'll take time...and most people don't care."

"Is he guilty?"

"This time? Probably not. We think it was a case of wrong place at the wrong time. But he's been guilty before, and with the wrong people involved, he'll go down just for being there. Wouldn't be the first time."

"How old is he?"

"Just turned eighteen."

Gibbs nodded in understanding. If he was convicted now, it would be hard time.

"Drugs?"

"Some. Nothing serious yet."

"Yet."

"Yeah. Yet. He's not dealing, but it's probably just a matter of time with the track he's on."

"What do you want me to do?"

"My partner thinks I'm being soft on someone who's going to turn into a major criminal, given half a chance, but I think he can still be turned around. He just needs someone to do it. He needs someone to care enough to do it. That's what he's been missing."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "Why me?"

"Because if you start it, you'll finish it."

"And you won't?"

He shrugged. "I would, but he won't trust a cop."

"I'm not a cop?"

"No. You're NCIS, and he won't have any idea what NCIS is until it's too late."

"He dumb?"

"No. That's the worst thing. He's really smart. He's just never had anyone to push him to use that for the right things."

"So what's going to happen right now?"

"If you're willing to throw your hat in the ring, we'll release him to your custody and you can get him away from here where there are too many people to pull him into places he shouldn't go."

"What about his sister?"

"Foster care."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. Foster care was often not the best option, but sometimes, it was the only option.

"Better than having her with her brother who's starting to get into drugs. The family she's with right now is actually giving her some stability, and she needs it."

Gibbs sighed.

"I'm not asking you to adopt him, Jethro. He just needs someone to call him out. He needs someone who will be there to push him when he starts to get off track. He needs a mentor, not a father."

"Sounds like he needs both."

"If you're offering..."

"No."

"What do you say?"

Gibbs sighed. "Name?"

"Tim McGee."

Gibbs nodded and walked into the room. As soon as he opened the door, Tim sat up and looked at him warily, but he didn't say a word.

"You tired of being in here?" Gibbs asked.

"Better than other places I've been," Tim said, bitterly. "Who are you? If you're a cop, you have to tell me, and I didn't ask for a lawyer. All they have are those stupid public defenders and they don't care about me any more than anyone else. They're just hoping to get it over with, so they can get paid."

"I'm not here about whatever stupid thing you just got caught doing."

"I didn't do anything!" Tim said, angrily. "And they know it, too, or else they'd have put me in with the other guys they arrested. I didn't kill that guy."

"Then, what were you doing there?"

"I don't have to tell you anything. You're not a cop. You're not a lawyer. You don't have any right to demand information from me."

"You're right. I don't, but I'm here."

"Why should that matter to me?"

"Fine. I don't have to stay."

Gibbs got up and started toward the door, guessing that he'd be stopped before he left.

"Wait. If you're not a cop and you're not a lawyer. Who are you and why are you here?"

Gibbs turned around and walked back. He sat down.

"Jethro Gibbs, and I'm here to give you a chance to be something other than another stupid guy in a body bag."

"I'm not dead."

"You will be."

Tim actually smiled a little. "So will you."

"If I leave this room, you'll be dead a long time before I will."

Then, he saw it. A flash of fear in Tim's eyes. He was afraid of that very thing.

"Now, why don't you tell me why I should give you a chance?"

"You shouldn't. You don't know me. There's no reason for you to trust me. I have a record. I'm a criminal. There's nothing I say that you should believe."

Gibbs smiled. "That's the only lie you've told so far."

"What is?"

"That I shouldn't believe you. You don't lie very well."

Tim's eyes dropped for the first time.

"You can leave with me if you use this as a chance to become something better than you are. If you agree, then, you're agreeing to straighten up. No more drugs. No more stealing. No more vandalism. You'll stay with me until you go to college."

"College?" Tim repeated, looking up and scoffing at him. "I'm not going to college. That's not for kids like me."

"Yes, it is. If you work to earn it. You go to college and you play it straight. And you never get in trouble again. If you do, prison will be the least of your problems. If you go back to what I'm getting you out of, you'll have to deal with me long before the cops get you."

"You're threatening me?"

"No. It's a promise."

"What do you mean?" Tim asked, his brow furrowing.

"I'm promising that I'm not going to give up on you. If I was, I'd leave you to prison. You have a chance, Tim."

"Even if I do, I still have a record."

"You keep your nose clean, you can get it expunged. No one will know what you did before."

"Oh, come on. No one will know until I try to get a job."

"No. Not even then. You change and that's all anyone will see."

"What about my sister?"

"What about her?"

"Will anything happen to her?"

"Why would it?"

Tim shifted uncomfortably.

"She's happy where she is right now, but if I leave, she might follow me. I don't want her leaving that. That family she's with is real good to her. It's a real family and they like her. They don't like me, but they like her."

"Then, tell her you're going to college and you'll visit during the summer."

"Why are you doing this? I don't know you. You don't know me. Why?"

"Because there are some people who think you've got potential and they think I can help you see it."

"Why you?"

Gibbs smiled. "No idea. Well?"

"I have to decide right now?"

"What else have you got to do?"

"I was there when that guy got killed."

"What guy?"

"I don't know. I don't know who he was, but..."

"But what?"

"Doesn't that make a difference to you?"

"Nope."

Gibbs could see that Tim was afraid of making a decision like this. He was being told to trust a total stranger. Trust was probably rather thin on the ground, but Tim needed to do it. Gibbs didn't have unlimited time and this was his only chance.

"I don't have the grades to get into college."

"Why not?"

"Because I skipped."

"Not because you couldn't do it?"

Tim scoffed at him again. "That stuff is easy."

"So why not do it?"

"It's boring."

"You're going to have to lose that attitude."

"It doesn't matter! I can't get into college if I don't have the grades. And I don't."

"You'll get in."

"What if I don't?"

"You will."

Another pause.

"Well?" Gibbs asked. "I don't have all day."

Tim looked at him for a long time, as if trying to figure out if this was real or not.

"Well?"

"If I don't like it?"

"You're welcome to go back to prison."

Gibbs judged that it was time to make an assumption. He stood up and walked over to the door. He opened it and then turned back. Tim was still sitting on the chair.

"You coming?"

Tim looked around the room and then stood up. Gibbs was surprised at how tall he was. He was scrawny, yes, but with a few square meals, he could turn out to be fairly solid.

They walked out of the police station and Gibbs saw Tim tense up.

"You start running now and you're dead."

Tim instantly relaxed.

"Let's go."

They got into Gibbs' car and he drove away.