The Joining of Four and Seven (I Am Number Four/NCIS Crossover)

Chapter Five

Paradise, Ohio

The shrill of Marina's alarm rang through the bedroom, and John groaned, leaning over to slap it off. Beside him, Marina stirred from her own sleep, sitting up, her dark hair rolling over her shoulders. "About time," she muttered. 

John looked up at her as she slid out of bed. "You were awake?" 

"Sort of," Marina replied, grabbing a hair tie and brushing her hair while also pulling it into a fishtail braid over her shoulder. "Gibbs has drilled an internal alarm clock into me and Tony over and over again so that no matter what, the slightest noise will make us wake up." 

John sat up, too, pulling the closest shirt he could find over him. "That must have taken a while." 

"It actually didn't," Marina replied, raising an eyebrow pointedly. Obediently, John turned his back to Marina as she started taking off her camisole shirt and sweats. "It came in handy if we were sent to other countries around the world. You can look now." 

John turned back to her to see that she was wearing tight-fitting jeans and a silver spaghetti-strapped tank top, a blue scarf wrapping up the outfit. Her same white jacket rounded off the outfit, and the same black boots. 

She turned around and rummaged through her bags again as John started getting dressed, too. "How did you get those holsters made?" he asked curiously as he pulled on his jeans. 

Marina raised her jacket sleeve and snapped the 9mm back into place. "I still go to school when I'm in the agency," she replied. "Gibbs wanted me to be safe at all times, no matter what happens. So I always carry a gun on me. One on my arm, the other one in my jacket for backup." She shrugged the jacket off of her shoulders for a few seconds to slip the SIG-Sauer into its holster, too, then put it back on all the way. She swung her backpack over her shoulder, and John did the same. "Am I good?" 

"You're good," John replied, taking his backpack, too. They went down the stairs, and Henri was already up. John's cereal of Cheerios was in its bowl at his seat, and John sat down gratefully. Henri looked up from where he was by the fridge, drinking a cup of coffee. "Is there anything I can get you, Marina?" he asked. 

Marina pointed to his cup. "Do you have any more?" she asked. 

Henri raised his eyebrows. "All I have is black." 

"That'll work," Marina replied, sitting down as Henri moved towards the coffee machine. "We learn a bunch of things at NCIS: all fifty something of Gibbs's rules, how to react in any situation, and - so far, I'm the only one that's succeeded in this - drink black coffee." 

"Tony and Kate don't?" John asked through a mouthful of cereal. 

Marina smirked. "Nah, or at least I've never seen Kate drink it black. Abby's hooked on Caf-Pow, and Ducky always has tea." 

Henri handed her a mug, which she took gratefully. "How long was he in the Marines?" 

"He's never told me," Marina replied, shaking her head as she took a sip. "All I know is that he left and joined NCIS after his first wife and daughter were murdered." 

"Murdered?" John asked in shock. 

Marina nodded, taking another drink. "She was going to testify when she saw a petty officer's murder. A sniper shot killed their driver when they were headed for the court. She and her daughter, Kelly, died in the crash." 

"Wow," John whispered. 

"You said that was his first wife and daughter?" Henri asked. 

At this, Marina choked on her coffee. John was worried she was shocked, but then he realized she was laughing. "Oh, his next three were absolute train wrecks," she howled, laughing so hard her face was turning red. "Diane was out within two years and emptied out his bank account before she left, the next I have no idea what happened, and Stephanie only lasted two months when he was on a mission in Paris with another agent, Jenny Shepard."