What Lies Beneath

Written for the AU Times Two Challenge (nothing to do with the movie of the same name)

Genre: Horror/AU (re-write of season 7 ending)

Rating: FR-15/T (language/violence/adult subject matter)

Set during Season 7 of NCIS, Season 5 of Supernatural (which will be slightly AU, too ;) ) Summary: After Somalia, recovery is the least of Tim McGee's problems.

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are the property of their respective copyright holders. No infringement intended. The original characters and places mentioned are the product of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to those living, dead, or undead is completely coincidental.

"What lies beneath this patina of stability is something wicked, I'll wager."

The Cheshire Cat, American McGee's Alice

Prologue – Truth and Consequences

Barely able to keep himself upright, Tim McGee slid the key to his apartment door into the lock and turned it. He let out a sigh of relief as the tumblers clicked to disengage the lock and he turned the knob, allowing the door to swing open. He stumbled inside and dropped his bag by the door before re-locking it, then made his way to the bathroom. A hot shower was what he desperately needed to wash away the stench and filth left behind after his experience in the Somali desert.

After standing under the searing cascade for nearly fifteen minutes, Tim climbed out, dried off, and got ready for bed. He hadn't had a decent amount of sleep in days, ever since Tony had told him about the mission, and his own bed would be a welcome presence. He collapsed onto the mattress and tried to sleep, but it eluded him. Memories of his time in the camp kept flashing through his mind, particularly the image of Saleem's gun pointed at his forehead. The realization of exactly how close he had come to dying suddenly hit him and he started to shake. It had been way too close. If not for Tony's quick thinking…

Unable to shrug off the anxiety he was feeling, Tim decided to go for a walk, hopefully to calm himself. He slipped on his shoes, tucked his gun in the back of his sweatpants, and left his apartment. He started walking towards the closest park, allowing himself to take in the crisp night air and familiar sights and sounds of his neighborhood. By the time he reached the park he was starting to feel better. It was barely past 10 PM, early enough to be fairly safe but late enough to have thinned out the usual crowds. Tim made a circuit of the lake at the center of the park, still keeping an eye out for trouble, but by the time he had completed his route he was alone. At least it appeared that way, but Tim couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling that someone was watching him.

Tim made one last survey of the area, checking for his unseen observer, yet found nothing. He started back towards his apartment and was almost to his building when the feeling that someone was stalking him became almost overwhelming. He spun around, drawing his gun as he expected to confront whoever was tailing him, but there was no one there. No one he could immediately see, at least. The hairs on the back of his neck rose of their own accord as the feeling that he was not alone failed to dissipate.

"Who's there?" he called, scanning the area around him. "What do you want?" Suddenly he heard a strange sound, almost below the edge of normal hearing, like dozens of people whispering in an unknown language. He turned towards the source of the sound and was confronted by the sight of a column of black smoke rushing towards him at an alarming rate. Before he could react, the smoke forced its way down his throat, choking him and bringing him to his knees. Tim tried to cough to relieve himself of the invader but his efforts were fruitless as the blackness overwhelmed him.

XXX

Tim opened his eyes and blinked, surprised to find himself in his own bed, staring up at his bedroom ceiling. He blinked again as he tried to make sense of what had apparently been a very strange dream. He tried to sit up but his body wouldn't respond to his commands. He tried again with the same result and started to panic. Tim tried to tell himself it was still part of the dream, sleep paralysis or something of that nature, but after a third attempt he was gripped with fear and his heart began to beat wildly in his chest.

What's wrong with me?

After a few more panicked heartbeats, Tim experienced the terrifying sensation of his body moving outside of own his control. He felt himself sit up, swing his legs over the edge of the bed, and stand. His body rose to its feet and walked slowly to the bathroom, where it stopped in front of the mirror. Tim stared at his own reflection, now unable to even shift his gaze away.

This is a dream. This has to be a dream…

Tim watched in horror as an evil smile formed on his face, an expression he himself had never worn. His lips began to move and his voice emerged, speaking words that were definitely not his own.

"Not a dream, Timmy."

His eyes, reflected in the mirror, turned completely pitch black, and Tim desperately tried to scream. Instead, his body chuckled.

"Sorry for the inconvenience, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to borrow your meat suit for awhile."

What…what are you? W-why are you doing this to me?

It grinned. "One of the denizens of Hell, and I need to lay low for awhile. Call it witness protection, if you will."

What?

It chuckled again. "There's a fight brewing: the Apocalypse. The big smack-down. I figured it was best to just stay out of their way. No matter who wins, we demons will be in the crosshairs. Unless, of course, those two idiot Winchesters actually do manage to stop the whole thing. But just in case…what a better place to hide than the last place anyone would look for something like me? A mild-mannered computer geek who also happens to be in law enforcement." It reached up and touched Tim's face, causing him to shiver inwardly. "Innocent, a bit naïve, doesn't tend to ruffle too many feathers. Perfect."

Please…don't….

The evil grin returned. "Sorry. I promise not to hurt your friends. Wouldn't want to draw attention to myself, would I?" It snorted. "Not much of a bunch of friends, though. Or much of a family. I see how they've treated you." It tapped Tim's forehead. "It's all up in here. All those years of teasing, hazing, belittling you…and not just on the job. Are you sure you wouldn't like a little payback?"

NO! Please…don't hurt them.

It sighed. "Killjoy. All right. I won't harm a hair on their thick little heads. Now, you might as well get comfortable. You're going to be stuck in there for awhile."

Tim felt the darkness return like a sickening fog. He tried to fight against it, but it overtook him once again and consciousness faded. That last thing he heard was his own voice whispering in the dark.

"Now this is going to be fun…"