A/N: And here is my crossover with NCIS. This is really a Prentiss story. It's set right after "Demonology" and Emily's relationship with Hotch and some of her teammates isn't at its best since she's feeling they didn't back her up during Matthew's investigation like they normally would each other. And on the NCIS side, this is set in season 7, after they've rescued Ziva in Somalia. I'm also thinking this is going to be a multiple story arc, but not as long as my "Reckoning" arc. In fact, I'm thinking this is likely going to follow a different timeline from that storyline, an alternative reality where Team Gibbs are friends with Emily. Basically, I feel Emily needs more friends and I think Team Gibbs would likely understand the whole Doyle thing a lot better than Team Hotch would. And while I am definitely a Hotch/Prentiss shipper, there's going to be a little something something going on between Prentiss and Gibbs. Not a romance though there might be romantic overtones, because really, who isn't curious to see a jealous Hotch?

"I'm calling in additional help."

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, or NCIS, glared at his director.

"I've got it covered, Leon," the older agent replied, his cold, blue gaze unwavering.

"It's been three weeks and your team has no leads and haven't had any for the past 10 days," Vance shot back. "I've asked the Director of the FBI to send over one of their profilers to us. He's promised us one of their best. Someone from their A Team."

"Who?"

"An Emily Prentiss. Supposed to be on their most elite team. Her immediate supervisor is an Aaron Hotchner."

"So why aren't we getting the head honcho?" Not that it really mattered to Gibbs. As soon as it was possible he was going to ditch this Bureau scrub so he could run his investigation his way.

"She was on vacation and the rest of her team is already on a case in," Vance checked his notes. "Montana." He gave Gibbs a hard look. "Play nice, Gibbs. You might find yourself learning a thing or two. I hear these BAU profilers are worth listening too."

Gibbs snorted and stormed out of Vance's office without another word. As soon as he was in a quiet hallway, he pulled out his cell phone and made a call.

"Fornell," he said.

"What do you want this time, Gibbs?" sighed the other man.

"Can't one friend call another to say 'hi'?" Gibbs asked innocently.

"Sure, but we aren't friends."

The NCIS agent cracked a smile at that. "I want to hear what you know about a BAU team run by an Agent Hotchner."

"Hotchner and his team? I hear good things. He runs a tight ship over there. He's a bit of a hard ass and probably too by the book for your taste. Pretty humorless. There's been some whispering about some funny stuff with his team, but that might be because his unit supervisor has it in for him."

"What kind of whispering?"

"Well, they lost two of their agents recently. Both up and resigned. One obviously burnt out. Gideon. Work got to be too much for him, but it's understandable considering what these guys see day in and day out."

"And the other one?"

Fornell hesitated. "This one was a little less clear. The agent had been seriously wounded a few months before and then was involved in a shooting with a suspect they couldn't get enough evidence on."

"Vigilante?"

"She was cleared, but Hotchner ordered a psych evaluation. It was obvious he didn't trust her anymore, but wasn't willing to completely dump her. She resigned anyway. Then there were rumors one of his other team members might have a drug problem."

"That wouldn't be an Emily Prentiss?"

"Prentiss? Why are you asking about Prentiss?" Gibbs could hear the curiosity in Fornell's voice.

"She's advising on a case. Just found out about it."

Fornell whistled. "Lucky dog!"

Gibbs pulled his phone away from his ear and stared at it. "Care to explain?"

"You'll know what I mean when you see her. Only thing is, she's not a red-head so not exactly your type, but when you see those big brown eyes of hers, you'll realize it won't matter."

"I'm not interested in her eyes, Fornell," Gibbs snapped out.

"You will be. But I've only heard good things about her aside from the usual jealous, catty stuff when a beautiful woman is involved and her unit is made up of red-blooded men."

Gibbs grunted. "People saying she slept her way to the top?"

He couldn't see it, but Gibbs knew Fornell was shrugging. "That and it doesn't help that she's an Ambassador's daughter."

"Wait, she's Elizabeth Prentiss' daughter?"

"That's the one. Not like her mother. A lot more down to Earth. Funny too. I've talked to her a few times and consulted once on a case. Smart. She might even put you in your place, Gibbs."

Gibbs' response was only a snort.

Emily's phone rang as she slammed her front door shut. She sprinted across the room and grabbed it before the answering machine could pick up.

"Prentiss," she said crisply if a little breathlessly.

"Agent Prentiss."

Emily recognized Erin Strauss' voice and while she rolled her eyes, she simply said, "Ma'am."

Strauss sent her phone an irritated look. She could never reprimand Prentiss, but every time the younger agent addressed her as "ma'am", Strauss thought it sounded more like "screw you".

"I need you to report over to NCIS headquarters. They've asked for a consult on a case and Agent Hotchner is with the rest of your team in Montana. Both B and C teams are on other cases as well. I'm sorry to cut short your vacation, but you're the only BAU profiler available."

Emily never thought she would be grateful to Erin Strauss for anything. While technically Emily was on vacation, it wasn't by choice. Hotch had ordered her to take some time off during her side investigation into Matthew Benton's death. When the entire thing was over, he still insisted she go on leave, made it an order. However, he had marked the time down as vacation and kept any potential black marks or questions out of her official file. Still, she had resented being forced to take the time off and was still angry for the lack of support Hotch and some of her other team members had shown her. Some time apart from them was likely a good thing.

However, she was slowly going stir crazy. It would be one thing if she had planned to take some time off, she would have actually arranged to do something, take a trip somewhere. Instead, she found herself at home, trying to fill her days with chores and exercise and some shopping. It was becoming boring to such an active woman.

"You'll report to an Agent Gibbs," Strauss continued on. "He'll fill you in on the details."

"Ma'am, Agent Hotchner-," Emily knew that Hotch wasn't going to like any of this, but at this point, she really didn't care. She just didn't want to be on the receiving end of a Hotch hissy fit when he found out one of his agents was off consulting with another agency and be blamed for this happening.

"I'll explain everything to Agent Hotchner," Strauss replied. "They're expecting you at NCIS at 1 pm."

"Yes, ma'am," Emily said, respectfully this time.

The young agent escorted her to the NCIS equivalent of her bullpen. It had an overhead skylight and several large TV screens scattered around clustered stations of desks. She took in her surroundings in one glance, noting the open layout, the pumpkin colored walls and the staircase that she knew led up to MTAC. The agent stopped before a section in the middle of the room, what was obviously the most prized piece of real estate here. She could see two men each at separate desks talking to each other. The younger one looked barely old enough to shave with his baby-faced looks. He carried an innocent air about him and Emily could see the exasperation on his face as his companion said something to him.

The other man was a little older, tall and very handsome in a "I know I'm good looking and I work hard to preserve it" kind of way. The younger man saw her approaching. Seeing his companion's distraction, the second man turned around. His eyes lit up when he saw her and he hastily made his way towards her.

"I'll take it from here, Black," Anthony DiNozzo said to the young agent escorting Prentiss. He turned a charming smile directly onto her. "Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. And you are?"

"SSA Emily Prentiss of the FBI. I'm here to see Agent Gibbs."

"FBI?" Tony asked, his voice rising up an octave in surprise. He got McGee's attention and the younger man came around to meet her. He looked Emily up and down and had it been the same lascivious look he had given her when she walked in, she would have smacked him. Instead, he seemed confused. "You? Really?"

His reaction was just as annoying. "Yes, really," Emily huffed. "Why? What's wrong with me?"

"That's the thing, nothing obvious," Tony replied. "Wow, I might have to apply for a transfer if all FBI agents look like you."

Emily sighed inwardly. She turned to the other agent, hoping he wasn't anything like his companion. "Emily Prentiss," she introduced herself.

"Tim McGee," the young man said in a friendly tone. He held out a hand which she shook, relieved that he was markedly different from the other guy. "Don't mind, Tony. We tend to ignore him most of the time."

Emily smiled slightly, especially when she heard DiNozzo utter an offended, "hey!" She looked around. "I was told to find Agent Gibbs. Is he around?"

"Don't worry, I suspect Gibbs already knows you're in the building," Tony replied as he sat down at his desk. "He's got special powers like that."

Emily raised an eyebrow. This guy had to be joking. "Special powers?"

"An uncanny ability to show up at the right moment and knowing things," McGee explained. "No one quite knows how he does it."

"Probably due to some goat sacrifice he made many years ago," DiNozzo called out. He saw McGee's expression freeze and the younger man dropped his eyes. "He's behind me, isn't he?"

"Did you sacrifice a goat to figure that one out, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked as he leaned against the cubicle half wall behind Tony's station.

As Gibbs made his way around into the center of the bullpen to get to his desk, he blew past Emily, completely ignoring her. He leaned over and pulled his gun out of his desk drawer. "Gear up. Got another body."

"Agent Gibbs, I'm Emily Prentiss from the F-," she began.

"I know who you are," Gibbs said as he walked past her. She stared after him, rooted to her spot as McGee and DiNozzo scrambled to gather their things and started following him.

Halfway to the elevator, Gibbs stopped, nearly causing the two other men to run into him. He sighed loudly and then turned around to look at Emily who hadn't moved. "Come on," he said in exasperation, gesturing for her to follow him.

She threw him an irritated look, but followed anyway. She stepped onto the elevator, standing in front of Gibbs. She could feel his eyes boring into the back of her head.

Any friendly thoughts she had about Strauss disappeared. What had that witch gotten her into?

In the garage, Emily was introduced to another member of Team Gibbs, Ziva David. The former Mossad agent looked curiously at the other woman, waiting for an introduction, but Gibbs was pushing for them to hurry up.

"David, Prentiss, FBI," Gibbs called out as he walked over to a blue four door sedan. He opened the driver's side door and sighed when he saw Emily pause to properly introduce herself to Ziva. "Prentiss!" he snapped. "You ride with me. David, you drive the truck. Take DiNozzo and McGee with you."

"Boss!" McGee yelped in dismayed.

Prentiss saw the other woman start to reach for the keys DiNozzo held, but he moved them out of her reach. "Oh no," she heard the man say. "You're not driving. I have no desire to see what I had for breakfast again."

Emily tilted her head at the strange conversation and reactions, but Gibbs was practically drumming his fingers on the roof of the car as a way to get her to hurry along. Emily frowned at him, but hurried forward and got into the passenger seat. Gibbs let out an audible sigh and slipped behind the wheel, taking off with a loud squeal of the tires.

Emily barely had time to buckle her seatbelt before Gibbs hit the accelerator. She looked apprehensively at the man as the car swung about at a rapid speed. He remained silent, not giving her any information and it didn't take a profiler to see he didn't want her here. Hated having her here. Well, Emily Prentiss never backed down from a challenge and if she could make Hard Ass Aaron Hotchner accept her help, she was sure she could get through to this guy.

She knew the driving was probably part of an intimidation tactic so she simply settled back down and hid any fear of dying as Gibbs zoomed through the streets of DC.

"So what are we looking at?" she asked in a calm voice. "I haven't been given any particulars about the case, so I don't even know what we're dealing with."

Gibbs threw her a look. Emily simply looked inquiringly at him. "I've got seven dead Marines. The one we're going to now makes eight. All have been killed over a period of four weeks. Aside from being male and Marines, we haven't been able to find any connection. Different units, different rank, some enlisted, some officers. Only thing that ties them together is that they've all been stabbed multiple times and a rose and a poem left on their bodies."

"A rose and a poem?" Emily blinked. "Really?" An eyebrow was raised.

"No, I'm making up evidence," Gibbs snarled. "Yes, a poem and a rose."

"But that sounds so…" her voice trailed off.

"Hokey? Cliched?" Gibbs quirked his lips at her. Maybe this one wasn't as stupid as the typical FBI agent. She already spotted the thing that didn't sit right with Gibbs.

"Serial killers definitely have a signature and have been known to have rituals they go through, but to write a poem and leave a rose…it just feels like…" she groped for the right words.

"A Lifetime movie?"

Emily let out an amused snort. "For lack of a better way to describe it, yeah, like some bad Lifetime movie." Gibbs glanced over at her and saw her regarding him with brown eyes that danced a little in merriment. "However, for you to make that analogy, well, Agent Gibbs, I didn't take you for a Lifetime kinda guy. Sir." She added that last part belatedly and with absolutely no respect.

Gibbs felt himself relaxing marginally. He was naturally suspicious of anyone new and definitely someone from the FBI. About the only one he trusted from that agency was Fornell and that trust was built up over many years and many tests. But he found himself instinctively drawn to and liking this young woman. He couldn't help but feel a touch of warmth go through him seeing those big brown eyes dance in amusement.

Big brown eyes. Awwww Hell, Fornell was right.