Chapter 1
“So explain to me again why we’re going to the NCIS Washington field office?” Elizabeth asked her supervisor, Senior FBI Agent T.C. Fornell, as she settled back into the passenger side of the nondescript government car that they had been assigned to drive to their destination. She was far from stupid, but she didn’t quite understand why her boss was going out of his way to help another government agency, especially one that was top-notch in the country. “And why do you need me again? Because I would have thought that a field agent would probably be more welcome than some computer hacker.”
“An old friend called and asked for my help profiling their suspect; I owe him a favour,” Fornell replied as he exited the FBI compound and started the drive to the Washington NCIS field office. “Special Agent Gibbs mentioned that there was a rather complex computer situation, and since I know nothing about computers, you were my first pick to come with me. Although I wish you’d worn something a little more appropriate. We have a dress code, you know.”
“Not an agent and nobody ever sees me; kind of a side effect of being locked in a basement for at least eight hours a day. Most people at the agency have never even seen me,” Elizabeth replied with a shrug. She was wearing black pants, skate shoes and a t-shirt that read “I Got Out Of Bed For This?”. Her hair was dyed black with blue streaks and perched on her nose was a pair of black framed glasses. “And really, it’s not entirely my fault; if you’d given me more warning, I would have pulled out something a little more professional, you know that.”
“Not my fault either, you can blame Special Agent Gibbs,” Fornell replied. Elizabeth nodded in understanding; so she was finally going to meet the infamous NCIS Special Agent Leeroy Jethro Gibbs, friend and thorn in the side of her boss. While she had only been with Fornell’s team for a little over a year, she had heard many a story from both him and his team about the NCIS agent that Fornell worked with from time to time.
“So what’s the situation?” Elizabeth asked, trying to keep the conversation going. She wanted to know as much as she could before going in; even though she wasn’t an agent, she helped with a lot of cases and it helped her when she knew what she was up against.
“What looks like a serial killer is preying on the military,” Fornell replied as he pulled up to the security booth at the Navy Yard. He gave his identification to the attendant before gesturing to Elizabeth to hand over her own. She gladly obliged, excited to get going and to start working with different people. “Whoever it is either is a computer hacker or is working with one, and whoever it is, is hacking into databases and altering information in personnel files and autopsy reports.”
“Wow, whoever it is has to be pretty damn talented to get past that kind of encryption,” Elizabeth replied with a low, impressed whistle as they were given back their identification and Fornell started driving towards the visitor’s parking.
“Why do you think I brought you along?” Fornell asked her as he pulled into a parking spot. Elizabeth shrugged as the two FBI employees got out of the car and started walking towards the main building that housed the Washington NCIS field office. They checked through security with no problems and were on their way to the third floor, where Gibbs and his team were stationed when they weren’t out working on a case.
The two rode up in the elevator in silence, Elizabeth trying to quell her nervousness. She never really left the FBI field office, rarely even leaving her basement office. She was rather socially inept, and large groups of people made her a little nervous.
“You’ll be okay,” Fornell reassured her with a smile as the elevator chimed. The smile was wiped off of his face as he strode into the bullpen as if he owned the place. Elizabeth followed behind dutifully, keeping to Fornell’s shadow. It was easy enough; she was used to hiding and keeping attention off of her; it was how she went through life and it was second nature now.
“About time you got here, Fornell,” Gibbs said when they came into view of the team. Elizabeth surveyed the NCIS team; it kind of reminded her of Fornell’s team, really, although she’d never say that out loud if she wanted to avoid incurring the wrath of her superior. There was an older man with grey hair, who Elizabeth assumed was Gibbs. The lone woman standing there had seen her instantly, her eyes locking with Elizabeth’s. Elizabeth cowered and looked away first, her eyes settling on one of the two remaining men standing there. He was cute, in an adorable puppy way and she just want to take him home and… no, not good thoughts going on in her head there. Then there was the last man standing there, one that looked awfully familiar. He was talking to the cute guy, teasing him from the looks of it, when he looked at her. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw her, and Elizabeth grinned.
“TONY!” she exclaimed, breaking away from the protection Fornell’s form had afforded her as she ran as fast as she could, launching herself at Special Agent Tony DiNozzo with such force that he stumbled back a few steps before regaining his balance.
“Munchkin, what the hell are you doing here?” Tony asked as he hugged Elizabeth back, picking her up off of the ground. “Aren’t you supposed to still be in school?”
“Graduated over a year ago, Jerkface,” Elizabeth replied with a cheeky grin, pushing her glasses up her nose as he let her back down. Three NCIS agents and one FBI agent were looking at the duo strangely. “If you’d told me your new email address, you would have known this.”
“Sorry, kiddo,” Tony replied with a smile as he affectionately ruffled Elizabeth’s hair. She batted his had away before realizing that she was getting odd looks from the other four people in the immediate area. She was about to explain when two questions were shot at her at once.
“How do you know Special Agent DiNozzo?” Fornell asked.
“And who the hell are you?” Gibbs shot out immediately after.
“Special Agent Gibbs, my name is Elizabeth DiNozzo,” Elizabeth replied, stepping away from Tony and heading to where her supervisor and Gibbs were situated. “Tony’s my older brother and I haven’t seen him in a while, sorry if I got a little carried away.”
She stuck out her hand for Gibbs to shake, but dropped it when it was obvious he wasn’t going to take it. The NCIS agent glared at the FBI agent, obviously unhappy.
“What’s she doing here?” Gibbs asked Fornell. Elizabeth had a bad feeling about this; she shouldn’t have let Fornell talk her out of leaving her office and, by default, her comfort zone.
“You know that specialist I said I’d be bringing with me?” Fornell asked. Gibbs confirmed this information with a curt nod. “Well, meet the specialist.”
“She looks like she’s a teenager,” Gibbs replied, examining the girl with a sharp eye. She definitely didn’t look like anyone who would be hired by the FBI, or any other government agency for that matter.
“I turned twenty-four last month,” Elizabeth cut in before turning and heading back to where her brother and his fellow agents were standing, talking about something. They silenced when they saw Elizabeth coming, which obviously meant they were talking about her.
“So, you’re Tony’s sister,” said the woman, sizing her up as Elizabeth approached and took a position next to Tony. Elizabeth shifted under the other woman’s stare, obviously uncomfortable. She wasn’t used to being scrutinized.
“Lay off Ziva, you’re scaring the kid,” Tony said, wrapping a protective arm around Elizabeth. “Lizzie, I’d like you to meet Ziva David and Timothy McGee. Ziva is a Mossad liaison officer and McGee is an NCIS agent.”
“Nice to meet you both,” Elizabeth said, blushing a little as McGee smiled at her. “And Tony, I’m not a kid anymore, so stop calling me that.”
“Whatever you say, Munchkin,” Tony replied, noting the blush on her face and the way she looked at McGee. He filed that information away for later, not sure how he’d use it, but he’d find a way.
“Tony never said he had a sister,” Ziva stated, settling her sharp gaze on Tony. Elizabeth was pleased to see that he seemed just as uncomfortable under her gaze as she did.
“Tony doesn’t say a lot of things,” Elizabeth replied for Tony. “Frankly, I’m not surprised.”
“So, what are you doing here?” Tony asked, trying to get the topic away from the lack of discussion of his family. He had mentioned his father a couple of times, and an uncle in England that he still owed money to, but other than that he didn’t speak about his relatives.
“Fornell came into my dungeon this morning and said he needed help with a case,” Elizabeth replied with a shrug. “Convinced me to get into the car and we drove over; he explained the situation on the way.”
“Not quite what I was looking for, but okay,” Tony said with a shrug. “What I meant is, why are you here, in DC? Shouldn’t you still be in Baltimore or something, going to art school and not working for the FBI?”
“I went to school in New York,” Elizabeth corrected him. She shrugged again. “Dad only told everyone I was going to art school because he thought it would be less embarrassing than what I actually studied. And as for working for the FBI, it’s kind of complicated.”
“I’ve got time,” Tony said, just as Gibbs walked up.
“No, you don’t have time,” he said, his voice little more than a growl. Even though Elizabeth didn’t know the man, she could tell he was far from happy. “Ziva, Tony, we need to brief Fornell. Conference room one, go. McGee, show Miss DiNozzo to Abby’s lab; she’s expecting you and she’ll explain things to her. Get back to the conference room when you’re done that.”
When it took more than thirty seconds for everyone to move, he levelled them with a glare. “Today, people!”
Elizabeth glanced at Fornell, who shrugged and followed Gibbs out of the bullpen, supposedly to a conference room. Tony smiled at her once more, and Ziva gave her another critical look before following Fornell and Gibbs to the conference room. This left Elizabeth and McGee standing there, looking somewhat uncomfortable.
“Shall we, Miss DiNozzo?” asked McGee, gesturing towards the elevator.
Story Notes:
This is my first NCIS fic, so feedback is appreciated. Nice comments are good, constructive criticism is sought after and flames will be used to toast marshmallows.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Gibbs and his team have a new case, one that combines a serial killer and computer hacking. Gibbs thinks they might be over their heads and calls in a favor from Fornell, who is more than willing to help. Fornell delivers, with the "cavalry."
Chapter End Notes:
Not mine, don't own anything except Elizabeth, please don't sue.
It's my first NCIS fanfic, so feedback is appreciated.
It's my first NCIS fanfic, so feedback is appreciated.