What Really Happens: NCIS

Chapter Seven

Everyone gathers around Ziva to see what she's found. When I reach her, I see there's blood splattered on a bush. This bush could cushion any fall. Ziva marked it and McGee took a picture. From the corner of my eye I can see the camera has some dirt on it from the fall. I look away fast before I replay the whole situation in my head.

I walk away from the huddle to get a better look of the area. Tony notices.

"What are you doing newbie?"

"The body was dragged remember? Where are the drag marks?"

Tony looks at the ground with me. Then, back at me again. We start walking away from the bush to see an even bigger picture than before.

"Dead weight would leave a mark anywhere. No matter how much it rained." Why aren't there any marks?

"It rained?" Maybe the killer came back and wiped them away."

"No, they couldn't have. That would cause there to be marks from them wiping away the marks."

"Maybe they're just a really good wiper." I look at him in confusion of his sentence. He looks confused himself. "Never mind."

I look down at where we are standing, and I notice something behind Tony. I put my hand on his back to stop him from moving.

"Newbie, I'm not that easy. At least take an agent to dinner first."

I can't help but smile. I see McGee staring at us and quickly looking back to the bush. I kneel and see four marks in the dirt.

"Finger marks. There you go newbie."

"No, that's not it. There is something sticking out of one, you see that?"

We get as close as we can to the mark. Tony and I lock eyes with each other. He nods his head as an invitation to take the thing out of the ground. I get it with the end of my glove and inch it out of the ground. A memory card meets my and Tony's eyes.

"Hey boss!" Gibbs and everyone comes over at Tony's yell. "Finger marks and a memory card. It was buried under the drag marks. Melissa's found it."

I smile at Tony. He didn't have to give me any credit. He could have just told Gibbs what we found. He smiles back at me. I look back up at everyone and McGee seems to be the only person unamused.

"Alright. McGee take a picture. Melissa, bag it and tag it."

Good thing I already know how to do this. Abby showed me earlier when she was showing me how to handle evidence. Tony hands me a bag, a tag, and marker. I fill it out and then hand it back to him.

Everyone starts walking to the cars. I guess our work here is done.

I see Ducky packing while two officers help put the body in the ambulance. Gibbs turns to all of us before getting in the car. "So, who's riding with Ducky and the body?" At that moment Ziva and Tony shout shotgun simultaneously. She beats him to the car once again. McGee and I just stand there looking at each other.

"Why can't the three of us ride in the back?" Did McGee really ask that?

"Then one of you is going to have to sit in the middle. Tony can't because of this thing him and I talked about." I think Gibbs told me a little more information than I wanted to know about my co-worker.

"I'll go!" I shouted, making McGee jump and Gibbs look at me surprised.

"No," McGee starts to talk and it suddenly made me nervous. "I'll ride with him you shouldn't have to."

"No, I want to. Besides, I'm an assistant and Ducky's assistant would usually ride with him, right?" Gibbs nods. "I can see he never made it, so I'll go." I walk towards the ambulance before either of them can say anything.

"Ah, Miss. Peters will you be joining me?" Ducky is so sweet. It's not his words but his voice, it's just so welcoming.

"Of course, Ducky. It will give us time to get to know each other." He helps me hop on to the ambulance and shows me where to sit. The body is on a gurney in between him and I. It doesn't bother me.

"You know something Miss. Peters?" He shuts the back door to the ambulance. "This reminds me of a time back when I was just started at NCIS. Except I was the new one sitting across from the expert." Something tells me Ducky has a lot of stories. I can't wait to hear them.