"All Good Things...(Must Come To An End)"
Chapter One---
In the dimly-lit room Gibbs sat down on the edge of his bed at home, and ran a hand through his silvery-hair. He let out a long-held sigh as thoughts of his upcoming retirement ran through his mind.
He placed a hand on the suitcase behind him, and sighed to himself once more.
"One more Op--and then its all over," he thought to himself.
He stood up after a minute or so had passed and walked over to his dresser. He opened the top drawer and reached down underneath the piles of socks and underwear until his fingers wrapped around the item he was searching for.
The object he pulled out was a framed photograph of himself, Shannon, and Kelly together in the park. He had been much younger back then--much, much younger.
He studied it for a moment in silence letting his mind drift back in time to the day that the photograph was taken.
.........DREAM-LIKE SEQUENCE.........
Kelly was playing fetch with one of the other children and her dog, and the trio seemed to be having a wonderful time.
Gibbs and Shannon sat on a picnic blanket watching their daughter play.
Gibbs leaned close and kissed the nape of her neck gently.
"We should do this more often," Shannon whispered to her husband--who sat behind her.
"We will," he replied quietly.
"When?" she asked.
"As soon as I get back." he replied, as he kissed her neck again.
Shannon rolled her eyes at her husband, though she doubted that he could see her do it from his position behind her.
"You haven't told her yet, have you?" Shannon asked, referring to Kelly.
"Nope." Gibbs said, his voice growing serious.
Shannon shook her head, and let out a sigh.
"Do you have to go Jethro?" she demanded.
"You know I do," he replied. "We deploy Friday-" he started to add.
"I know, I know," she said, rolling her eyes again. "At 0700."
.........END OF DREAM-LIKE SEQUENCE.........
A lone tear rolled down his cheek, and he quickly wiped it away with the back of his hand.
After all these years later he still wished he had found someway to stay home, and not gone off to *Desert Storm*--then maybe Shannon and Kelly would still be alive...just maybe.
He cleared his throat as he shut the dresser drawer back up, and took a good look in the mirror above the dresser before heading back to his suitcase.
He gently stowed the framed photograph in the side pocket of his suitcase, and then zipped it up tight.
In just the last few years Gibbs had really began to notice how rapidly his age was beginning to set in, and how obvious it was becoming to everyone else.
He would miss NCIS once he'd finally left, and put it behind him; but there was just no way to delay the inevitable any longer. So he had agreed with Leon Vance that he would turn in his *Retirement Application* immediately following the next assignment--which just happened to be somewhat of a Black Op.
Abby sat in her office downstairs in the lab at NCIS Headquarters staring into her computer screen. She had been doing this same thing for the last three or four nights or so since Gibbs had broken the news to the team about his retirement. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about how much she was going to miss Gibbs once he left NCIS.
Everyone else had left and gone home already, but she had stayed late because in her lab she felt at peace. It was like her *Fortress of Solitude*, and it allowed her to think.
Gibbs had promised that he would come and see her every now and then, but she knew it still just wouldn't be the same. Oh, she knew he would probably make Tony promise to buy her Caf-Pows the way that he always had, but it just wouldn't be the same without *Gibbs*.
Her eyes moved from the blank computer screen to the framed photograph sitting on her desk next to the computer monitor. The photo was one that was taken a few years earlier on her birthday. Gibbs had promised to take her out somewhere special that night, and he had done just that.
In the photo she was hanging all over Gibbs, smiling her goofy goth smile, and he was just as calm as could be--a hardened ex-marine--but on that night, as evidenced in the photograph, he had smiled. It was a little smile, but a smile none the less.
She let out a long sigh as she stared at the photograph on her desk in front of her.
"It just won't be the same," she said to herself quietly.
The next day Gibbs and the team met with Director Vance in MTAC for a last minute briefing before their flight out.
"Three nights ago a U.S. satellite fell out of orbit and crash landed somwhere in Iran." Vance informed the team. "That satellite's *black box* contains top-secret--classified information."
Gibbs shifted in his seat.
"And the government wants us to get it before the Iranians do--right?" Tony asked.
"No." Vance replied.
"Then I am confused--why are we going to Iran?" Ziva asked.
Gibbs took a sip of coffee from the coffee cup in his hand.
"The Iranians already have the satellites' *black box*," Vance informed them. "SecNav wants the four of you to go to Iran, copy the information on the box, and then destroy it."
"Sounds easy enough," Tony remarked, leaning forward in his chair. "Except the part where the Iranians don't like us, and want to kill us."
Vance looked cross ways at Tony obviously not impressed by the younger special agents sense of humor.
"That's been taken care of." Vance continued. "You're going in under the cover of nuclear arms negotiations."
"In other words you'll be their guests of honor."
Director Vance reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a CD case containing some kind of CD-ROM, and handed it to McGee.
"What's this?" McGee asked, as he flipped the cd over in his hands and examined it.
"That's a crash program." Vance said, with a nod. "SecNav wants you to upload that program to the box as soon as you finish downloading its contents to this," Vance said, as he threw a small pen drive in McGee's direction.
McGee caught the pen drive in mid-air and held it up to his face.
"Anything special about this?" he asked, holding it up.
"It's coded." Vance said. "Once the data is downloaded onto it--only the CIA can unlock it."
"Great."
"You're flight leaves in 2 hours--any other questions."
Gibbs had sat quietly through the entire briefing, but now it was his turn to ask a question.
"Yeah, just one." Gibbs said, setting his coffee cup down in the seat's cup holder.
"Just one?" Vance said.
"Yeah. How do we get home once we retrieve this *black box*?" Gibbs asked.
"We have a contact currently undercover in Iran." Vance explained. "He will contact you."
"When?" Gibbs pushed Vance further.
"Don't know--but he will, and when he does he'll use a password." Vance replied. "Cobra."
"SecNav plans to extract you and your team using an Apache Helicopter, but you'll need our contacts' help to reach it--safely." Vance added.
"Great." Gibbs muttered to himself.
"If there's no other questions--then you're dismissed." Vance said, with a wave of his hand.
Chapter 2---
Gibbs and the team arrived at the airfield where they were supposed to meet their pilot, and board the private jet that would take them on the first leg of their journey.
A car pulled up to the airfield just as the pilot was boarding the jet to begin his pre-flight checklist.
It was a car that Gibbs and the team knew all too well. It was Abby's hearse.
Gibbs had not yet boarded the plane yet, and waited to see what Abby wanted before he did.
Abby scrambled out of her hearse quickly, and ran towards Gibbs at full speed. Gibbs welcomed her with open arms. The forensic specialist through her arms around her boss, and hugged him tight.
"Abs, what're you doing here?" Gibbs asked, as he looked at the young woman.
"I had to say goodbye." Abby replied quietly.
"Why goodbye?" he asked, with a confused look.
"I just--I just have a really bad feeling ya know," she said, looking into her boss' piercing blue eyes. "That something bads' gonna happen to one you guys."
Gibbs hugged Abby tight for a moment as the two of them stood there together. The roar of the plane's engine behind them threatening to shatter their ear drums.
"If we make it," Gibbs whispered in her ear. "I'll call you."
Abby looked up at her boss with those fierce green eyes of hers.
"And if you don't?" she asked, in a low voice.
"Vance will tell you." he replied, in a whisper.
Gibbs placed a kiss, as he always did, gently against Abby's cheek. She held her hand over the spot where he'd kissed her as she watched her boss board the plane, and close the door.
Within minutes they were up in the air, and gone.
"It should be about 4 1/2 hours til reach the first lay over." the pilot told Tony, who had stuck his head into the cockpit area of the plane.
Tony flashed the pilot a thumbs up and then backed out of the cockpit.
"Pilot says we'll put in at the first lay over in about 4 1/2 hours boss." Tony informed Gibbs as he took his seat directly across from his boss.
Gibbs nodded as he leaned back into his seat trying to find a comfortable position.
"Hey boss, what was that all about back there--you know with Abby?" Tony asked, quietly.
"I'll explain later." Gibbs said plainly.
Tony nodded. He knew when to push and when to lay off, and this was one of those times for the latter.
Behind Tony and Gibbs the other two members of their team sat dwelling on their own thoughts.
"Are you alright McGee?" Ziva asked, looking across the aisle at Tim.
"Yeah, why?" McGee said, not looking away from the two items, in his hands, that Director Vance had given him.
"You just seem--a little tense." Ziva replied.
"Its just this whole assignment," Mcgee started, looking across at Ziva. "Something just doesn't feel right, ya know."
"I am not sure I understand what you mean." Ziva said.
"I mean--you know--there's just too many gaps in the whole thing." McGee said.
"Gaps?" Ziva repeated quizically.
"Yeah, you know--Gaps." McGee said. "Things are supposed to be there, but aren't."
Ziva shook her head at Mcgee still unsure that she was understanding him correctly.
"Look McGee, I ran hundreds of missions just like this with Mossad." Ziva said, leaning over. "We go in, get the intel, and get out."
McGee did not look or feel as sure as Ziva did.
"That easy hunh?"
"Well, maybe not for you--exactly--but yeah." she replied.
McGee shook his head hopelessly, and let out a long sigh.
When they finally reached the lay over point the pilot stepped out of the cockpit area with a small, letter-sized package under his arm.
He handed the package to Gibbs.
"Your director asked me to give this to you when we got here." The pilot said. "And he also said to make sure you open it before de-boarding."
"Hmm." Was the sound that came from Gibbs' lips as he tore open the letter-sized package.
The pilot walked past the group and headed towards the back of the plane.
Gibbs turned the package upside down and dumped out its contents into his lap.
"Passports?" Tony remarked, as he reached over to pick one up.
There were four passports in all--one blue, one red, one green, and one black.
Tony examined the red passport that he now held in his hand, and then slowly opened it up.
"Aleana Gavish." Tony said aloud. "Personal Translator."
"What?" McGee said, leaning closer for a better look.
"Hmm, kinda looks like you Ziva." Tony said.
"Let me see that." She said, as she reached out and snatched the passport away from her partner.
Tony was right it did look like her. In fact it was HER.
Gibbs found a folded up note up under the pile of passports in his lap. He unfolded it carefully and read it.
After a few moments Gibbs looked up from the note.
"These are our new identities." he said.
He handed out the passports quickly, reading off the names as he did so. The blue one was McGee's, the green one was Tony's, and the black one was his.
"Alexander Mercer," Gibbs said as he handed McGee the blue passport.
"Thanks boss." McGee said, as he took the passport.
"Carlo Cautelare." he said as he handed Tony the green passport.
"Thanks." Tony said, as he took his passport from Gibbs' hand.
Tony and McGee both examined their passports together.
"Didn't exactly get my best side did they?" Tony mused to himself, as he examined the inside contents of the passport he was holding--more specifically the enclosed photograph.
"And mine is...Frank Brennan--Special U.N. Delegate." he said quietly.
"Hey boss, what do you think this means?" McGee asked, looking up from his new passport.
"It means I'm the V.I.P., Tony's my bodyguard, Ziva's my translator--and you're my assisstant McGee." Gibbs said flatly.
"How you know all that?" Ziva asked.
"Says so right here." Gibbs said, holding up the folded up note.
Ziva reached out and took the note quickly before Tony could get to it, and unfolded it and read it.
"He is right. It does." Ziva said, looking up from the note.
The pilot returned from the back of the plane with 4 more medium-sized packages, and quickly dispersed them to the designated agent to which they belonged.
"What're these?" McGee asked, holding up his package.
"Disguises." Gibbs said, before the pilot could reply. "Its in the note too."
"Oh Goody!" Tony squeeled delightedly as he tore into his package. "New Clothes!"
Chapter 3---
It was a little after eight o'clock in the morning when Gibbs and the team finally arrived at their final destination. Tehran--the capital of Iran.
The sun hung bright in the sky as the group stepped off of the plane and onto the tarmac of the airfield. Their Iranian welcome party appeared in the distance--approaching them in jeeps.
"Damn polyester blend." Tony growled under his breath as he tugged at his new suit.
Ziva gave a small snort as she tried to stifle a chuckle.
Ziva was wearing a coat, blouse, and skirt, as well as heels--none of which would she have chosen if she had had her way. McGee wore a pair of Khaki pants, a long-sleeved, turtle-neck shirt, and a sports coat--McGee also carried a brown leather briefcase at his side. Gibbs wore a more official looking navy blue suit and tie.
The two jeeps pulled to a halt just a few yards away from where Gibbs and his team stood waiting.
An Iranian military officer approached them ahead of the rest of his men.
"Passports." he said sternly, in a thick accent, as he held out his hand to the group.
Gibbs smiled, though it was a forced one, and pulled his black passport from his inside coat pocket and handed it to the officer.
The officer eyed Gibbs suspiciously, and then opened the passport and examined it--looking from it to Gibbs several times before handing it back to him. He did the same thing with the others and their passports as well.
"Jew?" he asked sternly, prejudice evident in his voice, as he examined Ziva's passport.
Gibbs cleared his throat audibly.
"Translator." he said to the man, answering for Ziva.
"I did not ask you. I asked her!" the officer said angrily, his voice rising a few octaves.
Ziva opened her mouth to speak, but Gibbs stepped closer to the officer putting them face to face.
"And *I'm* answering." Gibbs said sternly, as he stared the officer down.
The officer mumbled something in his native tongue and then raised a hand--intent on hitting Gibbs, but a voice from behind stopped him. The officer turned and nodded at his superior and then walked away.
"So sorry about that." the man said. "He can be a little--aggressive."
The man was of average height and build and probably middle aged by his looks, and had a neatly kept mustache across his upper lip. He wore the uniform of someone pretty high up in the chain of command.
"Good morning Mr. Brennan," the man said, extending his hand to Gibbs. "Welcome to our glorious country." he added, as the two men shook hands politely.
"Likewise." Gibbs replied, politely.
"I am Colonel Arash Oveisi." the man said with a smile, introducing himself with a slight bow.
Gibbs just nodded at the colonel.
"Come, I'll bet you and your entourage--are hungry." Colonel Oveisi said, motioning for them to follow him to the jeeps.
Gibbs and the team climbed up into the jeeps as instructed by the colonel, and away they went. The two jeeps sped off down the airfield's runway heading towards the place where Gibbs and his team would be staying for the next couple of days.
"Our President believes these negotiations to be a waste of time, Mr. Brennan." the Colonel explained, as the two jeeps rolled off down the runway. "But I, on the other hand, believe that they will be most fruitful."
"I guess we'll just have to wait and see." Gibbs replied, over the noise of the two jeeps as they sped along.
.........To Be Continued.........
Story Notes:
This is just another idea that I had just a while ago, and I thought it would be something neat to explore, and see what happens. So just bare with me, and I hope that you guys enjoy it...
Author's Chapter Notes:
This is just kinda how I envision the NCIS series would end (Its at least one scenario anyway)...
Chapter End Notes:
This is just another idea that I had just a while ago, and I thought it would be something neat to explore, and see what happens. So just bare with me, and I hope that you guys enjoy it...