Extraordinary Valor

Summary: Set in the future, perhaps one way for the series to end. Character death. AU until we know otherwise.

Category: Angst

Rating: T

Warnings: Descriptions of the planning and aftermath of an attack. Minor bad word. Character death. T to be safe.

Disclaimer: Someone else owns everything NCIS. I'm just borrowing the characters for a bit.

All mistakes are mine.

7:00PM Saturday April 14, 2012

"Raise."

The plastic chips clicked as they hit the others in the middle of the table. The meetings were a ritual for the six men; always on the second Saturday in April and the first Saturday in September. They met in a predetermined remote location. They sat at the fold down table inside the aging motor home. They played cards, but nobody really cared about the game. Music helped to keep anyone from listening in. Nobody smoked; they drank lemonade and munched on sunflower seeds and M&M's.

Click. More chips hit the pile.

"We already torched the trees and bushes at the homes."

Click.

"We grabbed and roughed up homeless guys."

"I liked burning out the cars."

"Yeah, easy too."

"So was cutting tires and smashing windshields."

"Did that twice."

"Snatching the dogs was a trip."

"Taking care of them for a week wasn't."

Click.

"We should watch the video of the people arriving at the dog park that morning."

"Twelve dogs tied to the fence all around the place, barking up a storm."

Brazen laughter.

Click.

"Witnesses who couldn't talk."

Click.

"Paint balloons were too messy."

"And risky."

"Superglue in the locks at the bus stations was funny."

"Only because we knew about that broken surveillance camera."

"Fold."

"I think it's time we practice our skills."

"Which one?"

"We have so many."

"C'mon, guys. It's time for us to be bold. The only prank that went national was the dogs and the morning shows only spent one minute talking about it."

"What do you have in mind?"

"I want to shoot somebody."

Silence.

"A person?"

More silence.

"Well, it's not like we don't know how."

They played in near silence for about 10 minutes.

"When?"

"First let's agree to do it."

The men hashed out the pros and cons of shooting someone. They'd been close friends for more than 15 years; fraternity brothers who never outgrew their joking, prankster college days. And for every one of those 15 years they had a story about someone else's misfortune. They had stolen, destroyed property and inconvenienced lots of people, but even the homeless guys only got a burlap bag over their heads before they were spun around and knocked to the ground. They used video cameras to document what they could, but many times they didn't get any pictures because the risk of discovery was too great. Three of the six worked for government agencies; the others had good jobs in the private sector. All knew not to use phones, computers or even snail mail to discuss anything about their activities. They had elaborate code words worked out and their system hadn't failed them yet.

A couple of hours later they had agreed to shoot someone. Not just one someone, but six someones. Each man would take a shot just like every year when each man carried out the agreed to stunt.

"The rifles were all stolen more than ten years ago; cleaned, stored, non-traceable."

"Ammo?"

"Brass cartridges, primer, powder and bullets; also untraceable."

"Good."

7:00PM Saturday April 12, 2014 (Two years later.)

Click.

"Fold."

Click. "We have supplies for six; items procured separately months apart; stored underground. Everything except powder for another twelve."

Click.

"Good. Let's decide on targets."

"Won't be labeled random this time."

"Nope, terrorism."

"Homegrown terrorism."

Soft chuckles filled the air. They weren't terrorists; they had no agenda, political or otherwise. Unless of course, entertainment was an agenda.

"Shall we flip for the lucky time zone?"

In 2012 they each drove to a different city, found a place without cameras, picked a target and fired their weapons. They enjoyed it so much that in September they did it again and twice more in 2013. In two years the group had shot 24 people in 24 different cities. Before each hunt the rifles were carefully bored. Each time they had switched primers, but by the third turkey shoot they were killing instead of wounding. Police from different precincts in the same city had trouble working together. Police from different cities found it impossible so nobody had a clue where to look for the perpetrators or if they were even looking for the same perpetrators. Twice a year the news media had called them random acts of violence and all remained unsolved. Two dozen cities, each with many murders every year. Only the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit would have a name for six murderers using six different guns in six different cities on the same day within a few minutes of each other. They hadn't been called because nobody put it together. Not even when it happened four times in two years.

This time the group was ready for something new and special. Thirty minutes later they decided to hit first responders called to the scene of a single dead body. How the dead person got that way was left to each man traveling to six Eastern time zone cities; Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Miami, Pittsburgh and Washington, DC. They planned to mix it up a little and would try to choose men and women of different races, both old and young. But not kids. Never kids.

3:00PM Thursday May 8, 2014

"Good reasons for age limits on field agents."

Gibbs smiled at his boss. "Oh yeah, and I've felt every one of them."

Vance studied the senior agent for a few seconds before admitting, "They won't be happy with these changes."

"Leon, it's past time. I... I should have pushed for this a couple of years ago."

The two LJ's sat in companionable silence for many minutes. Their friendship hadn't come easy, but they enjoyed it now and would in the future.

7:28AM Friday May 9, 2014

The Anacostia Park police officer used his fingertips to carefully pull the wallet from the dead man's back pocket and flipped it open. Seeing the ID card, he called NCIS then instructed the younger female officer to start securing that area of the park.

10:00AM Wednesday May 21, 2014

The Director spent a couple of minutes telling them about the investigation. There wasn't much to tell so it didn't take long. Before continuing he glanced out the window; it was cloudy and gloomy just like the last 12 days. He couldn't change the weather and he wouldn't change his plan.

"It's time to talk about the future. It's expected you'll be cleared for full-time field duty one day next week."

In the eerie silence of his office, Director Leon Vance looked at the agents slouched in their chairs; their posture indicating near exhaustion, grief... and defeat. None had attempted to hide noticeable dark circles under their eyes, not even Ziva. They still needed some time, but with four psych evaluations behind them, the doctor thought they were ready for this meeting. He didn't know that until that morning, they hadn't seen or talked to one another since coming back after the funeral.

"I know it's been difficult."

Difficult was an understatement. What happened that day would stay with them forever.

Back in time to 7:33AM Friday May 9, 2014.

The Major Case Response Team plus Ducky and Jimmy had been on the scene for less than a minute when the bickering and movie references got to be too much and as soon as a fingerprint confirmed the man's identity, Gibbs sent the two most annoying team members, for that Monday morning anyway, away from him. Less than five minutes after that, Ducky announced that they needed to turn the body over for more examination and then preparation for transport.

Ziva finished taking the first photographs of the body and moved about six feet away before glancing over at Tim and Tony. Gibbs had sent Tim to interview the witness and Tony to look for more evidence. She heard Gibbs shout and after a last look at Tony with the female park officer, she turned around and saw Gibbs laying on top of the dead petty officer's body and Ducky and Jimmy laying on the ground. She wondered what had happened, and a millisecond later she knew. Standing frozen in place, in shock and denial, she couldn't take her eyes off the blood pool.

Tim wasn't getting anything useful from the witness. The man came to the park to walk Jake, his Rhodesian Ridgeback, and found the body. That was it. When Gibbs yelled, Tim's head jerked up in time for him to see Ducky and Jimmy falling backward on the grass. The boss fell on the dead body immediately tucking his arms to the sides of his chest and Tim cringed, glad it wasn't him accidentally hugging a corpse. Before his brain could think about what was going on, he heard the muffled explosion. The shock of what he'd witnessed froze him in place.

Tony grinned as he listened to the lovely Kirsten explain that this was her first dead body in the park. They'd hit it off right away and he was eagerly thinking a date with her would make up for being called to a crime scene so early on a Friday morning. Tony's first thought when Gibbs hollered was that someone was in deep doo doo and he was glad it wasn't him. A backfire sound startled him and he casually glanced around before looking over to see who was on the receiving end of the boss' mouth. Ducky and Jimmy were laid out on the grass and Gibbs was on his stomach over the dead body. Tony chuckled, his brain trying to imagine how the three of them could have ended up like that. Then he saw that Ziva hadn't moved and nobody was laughing or cursing.

Gently tugging on the shoulder as Mr. Palmer pulled on the man's hip, Ducky didn't see what Gibbs saw when the victim's body was rolling over. The M.E. grunted as air left his lungs and he found himself flat on his back; the ground hard under his hips, shoulders back and head. Palmer was next to him looking uncomfortable too. The muffled sound registered right away in Ducky's brain and dread gripped his heart. With a hand on his painful sternum, Ducky tried to sit up, but was only able to lift his head enough to see Jethro laying on top of the dead petty officer. There was no doubt his friend was dead too.

Agent Gibbs was on one side of the body and he and Dr. Mallard were on the other when the agent cried out and forced both of them to the ground. It happened fast and at first Jimmy wondered what would have made Gibbs do such a thing. Dr. Mallard wasn't young and could get seriously injured landing on the ground like that. Then he heard the explosion and saw the fear and devastation on Dr. Mallard's face and he suspected what had happened. First to sit up, he glanced at the two bodies, now nothing more than a bloody mess with heads and legs.

The improvised explosive device, known as an IED, was placed against the petty officer and held in place by duct tape. When the three men rolled the body, Gibbs, on the side to see it right away, reacted immediately, throwing himself over the petty officer and smothering the bomb with his body. He'd been able to stretch out his arms to shove Ducky and Jimmy so they'd have a chance before he pulled his arms against his chest and grabbed the petty officer's shirt and jacket with his hands. The detonation was devastating to Gibbs, but he'd managed to use his body to keep nails and BBs from escaping. Ducky, Jimmy and Ziva had blood and tissue on their pants and shoes, but they had not been injured.

Vance and two NCIS teams, FBI, Homeland Security, ATF and CIA had arrived at the park faster than anyone could have imagined. A day later, the FBI, lead agency in the investigation, concluded the six homemade bombs had pressure triggers with a 2-4 second delay and were directional; designed to explode only out, not up, maiming and killing inside a 10 foot radius. That day there were six secondary crime scenes with 19 dead and 14 wounded. All were law enforcement and medical personnel; 33 women and men, plus the six killed to lure them there. The Anacostia Park bomb only killed Gibbs and nobody else was injured by shrapnel or bomb fragments.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. ~ John 15:13 King James Version

Back to Vance's office at 10:01AM Wednesday May 21, 2014

Difficult was an understatement. What happened that day would stay with them forever.

The truth was that difficult didn't come close.

"Gibbs would be the first one to tell you that you have to move on. We spent a lot of hours talking about your futures at NCIS."

Ziva, Tim and Tony looked more uncomfortable than they had before, if that was even possible. The Navy Yard had a new #1 MCR Team, one they probably thought would be temporary until the three of them returned to full-time field status. They expected Tony to take Gibbs' place; Tim would be senior field agent and they'd get a new probie as their fourth. Vance knew what they'd been thinking and was about to pull the rug out from under them.

"Gibbs and I did not always get along and we certainly did not always agree, but we had a mutual respect long before our friendship developed. This agency will never be the same without him, but in his own words, we bury the dead... and we go back to work."

Tim's hooded eyes were on his clasped hands. That alone was a clear sign he was nervous, but he was also chewing his lower lip. Tony's chair had been pushed back a couple of feet and with hands on his knees he stared sullenly at the floor. Ziva, with her jaw clenched so hard it should really hurt, just glared at a spot on the opposite wall, or maybe it was at one of the boxing pictures. Vance couldn't tell for sure and it didn't matter.

"You need to know this was all decided before May 9. Gibbs wasn't going to be a field agent for much longer."

Vance didn't miss the looks of pain and loss that flashed across their faces as they grieved for their boss and mentor who was also their friend, protector and father figure. Father figure. It had been a rough couple of years for the team. Ziva's father was shot dead at the same time Vance's wife was killed; Tim's father died of cancer; Tony's father died from a heart attack. Gibbs lost his own father to pneumonia in April. At the funeral just four days ago when Gibbs was buried next to his wife and daughter, Vance couldn't help thinking what a blessing it was that Jackson didn't have to bury his son.

Ziva needed to know. "Gibbs was retiring?"

Vance shook his head. "No, but because of his age he couldn't be a field agent. We talked about him getting more involved in training."

As he looked at his agents now, Vance was more convinced than ever that they needed a clean break; a fresh start. He intended to give it to them, but would temper the immediate changes with hope for their return, if they wanted it.

"I can speak to you individually or I can tell you everything with the three of you right here."

That got their attention as each one looked around at their teammates.

At the same time they each said, "Together."

Vance breathed a sigh of relief which they thankfully didn't notice. He sure hadn't wanted to do this three times because he knew they would be angry. That was okay; they could focus their anger on him, a live target, instead of on the man who suggested and then pushed for the changes.

"Okay," he acknowledged as he waited for them to take a few breaths. They looked uncertain and fearful and Vance knew it had to be like ripping off a band-aid. "I will confirm that as of this morning Dr. Mallard is officially retired from NCIS." They knew he'd been thinking about it so it wasn't a total shock. The older man was suffering from survivor's guilt in addition to the loss of his close friend. To Ducky, the end of his NCIS M.E. career was nothing in comparison.

"He's requested no agency or public recognition of his accomplishments for his 23 years of NCIS service saying he prefers a quiet supper with his friends."

Vance let that sink in for several seconds before adding, "He has a date and time in mind and expects to hear from you... soon."

Tony and Ziva both gave short nods. Tim's lips lifted in a small hesitant smile.

"Mr. Palmer was granted a leave of absence to finish medical school and has not yet decided if he will come back. He will be offered an assistant ME position that will lead to the full-time ME job quickly, if he wants it." Breena had been scared to death and wasn't pushing him to quit, but with kids, Jimmy was rethinking everything about his work life. Still haunted by nightmares, he would wake up feeling Gibbs' hand on his chest as he was pushed out of his crouch position to land flat on his back, the muffled explosion and the gory aftermath.

The three looked surprised. Change was hard, but they'd get through it. Vance thought they'd be happy about the next announcement.

"Ms. Sciuto has decided to stay with NCIS here at the Navy Yard. She's working well with the teams and the new M.E. and told me she knew her decision was the right one after she had a dream." He watched as that revelation sunk in. Abby told him that Gibbs came to her in a dream and when she woke up she knew what he wanted her to do. Vance was still sad and mad about what happened to Gibbs, but Abby Sciuto had grown-up a lot in the days since his death. Maybe the man had appeared to her in a dream.

While Vance was observing the three agents, he was remembering what Gibbs said. "I have a top-notch team. I know their strengths and weaknesses." The man had smiled when he said, "They know most of them too, but not all." Gibbs had then admitted, "The team is too comfortable. And except for Norfolk for McGee, he and David haven't worked for NCIS away from DC. DiNozzo was agent afloat and I know I pushed to get them back together... Leon, I... wasn't wrong then, but I know and understand more now." He'd gone on to explain that while they worked well together, they had never worked well with other people or other teams and the three of them needed more experience and experiences. It was past time for some diversity in their careers. They weren't going to be together forever and they needed to learn to work with other people.

"Who wants to go first?"

Dead silence. The three looked shocked he'd even asked the question.

Tim, who had matured so much in his time at NCIS and who's future held such promise, recovered first. "I will, Director."

Vance smiled at the ever polite younger man and pulled the documents from a file folder in front of him.

"Agent McGee, in one month you will report to our Hawaii Field Office at Pearl Harbor where you will serve a minimum of one year as Senior Field Agent on a Major Case Response Team."

He handed the official document, in a clear plastic paperwork protector, to Tim who looked it over.

Tony looked a little surprised, but Ziva beamed in approval.

"Director Vance, I would like to know my assignment."

Vance nodded and retrieved another plastic document protector. "Agent David, in one month you will report for two weeks training before serving six months in the Protective Operations Field Office here at the Navy Yard where you will serve on teams with Protective Service Specialists and other Special Agents. After six months we will talk about where you will go next."

The official documentation was in front of her and she smiled shyly when Vance said, "Gibbs had some ideas. I have some too."

Vance knew the last one was the hardest one. He looked at DiNozzo. "You ready?"

Tony kind of shrugged and then gave one quick nod.

"Agent DiNozzo, in 30 days you will report to our Central Field Office in Chicago for assignment to the resident unit in St. Louis, Missouri. In addition to your regular Senior Field Agent duties, you will participate in exercises with the NCIS Naval Reserve Unit, comprised exclusively of local, state and federal law enforcement professionals based in Springfield. How you perform with them will determine your next assignment."

Tony scowled a little and Vance knew he wasn't happy, but Gibbs had come up with a plan and he had agreed it was a good one.

Not schooling his displeasure, Tony asked, "How long?"

"Six months minimum."

"Missouri?" Tony whispered.

Vance was ready to give him, and the others, a lifeline. "I have letters for each of you... from Gibbs."

Three heads jerked up, eyes wide with surprise.

"He understood better than anyone that every time an agent goes into the field, it could be the last time."

The three squirmed a little before sitting up straighter. Vance handed each of them a sealed white envelope with their name written in Gibbs' handwriting. The agents stared at the envelopes and Vance could only hope that the man's own words could convince them that the changes wouldn't be so bad.

The End (for now)

UPDATE: Added another chapter

Thanks for reading.

LJ's - Gibbs is Leroy Jethro and Vance is Leon James