NCIS. Abby/Kate. 053. Earth. *
Title: More Things in Heaven and Earth
Fandom: NCIS/Stargate SG-1
Characters: Abigail Sciuto, Caitlin Todd, Jethro Gibbs, Tony DiNozzo, Donald "Ducky" Mallard, Jimmy Palmer, Colonel Samantha Carter, Teal'c, Doctor Daniel Jackson, General Jack O'Neill.
Prompt: 053 Earth
Word Count: 3,947
Rating: PG
Summary: A mysterious body found in a field leads NCIS to a covert Air Force operation.
Author's Notes: I'm not overly confident with this one, but it's miles better than the first NCIS/SG-1 crossover I attempted. So I'm going to go ahead and post since I think it's the best version I'll be able to produce. :D Oh, and it should be noted... if you're a fan of SG-1 and not NCIS, it shouldn't be too hard to follow. Same goes if you like NCIS but have never seen an episode of SG-1 in your life. I tried to make both sides accessible to the novices, but I may have... slipped up a little towards the end, with the explanations. I'd be happy to clarify any questions anyone has. ;-D
Little Damn Table
The two men walked a few paces apart through the trees, one of them scanning the sky as he slowly followed the trail. His partner glanced over and caught him stargazing. He smirked and said, "What're you looking for, Church? Little green men?"
"Supposed to be a meteor shower tonight, Fell. Who says I can't take a little time from watch and enjoy the sights?"
"The gunny."
Church laughed and returned his focus to the trees. "Like anyone's gonna try anything. When was the last time someone successfully snuck past the perimeter?"
"Can't say as I can think of anything," Fell said. "But if the general population finds out the people walking the perimeter are staring at pretty lights in the sky, then they'll start to hurdle the fence like they're in the Olympics or something."
Church was about to say something else when there was a sudden flash off to their right. He brought his gun up, squinting at the already-faded brightness. "What the hell was that?"
"Headlights off the road," Fell said. "Maybe you should watch the stars if you're going to be this jumpy..."
"That wasn't headlights," Church said, breaking away and heading into the trees.
Fell sighed and followed him. "What do you expect to find? One of your meteors?"
"Oh, shit," Church said. "Call Gunny."
Fell came up next to Church, peering down at the grass. "What in the blue blazes...?"
The naked man uncovered his face and rolled onto his back, blinking up at the two Marines. He opened his mouth to speak before his head went limp and his arms fell out to his sides.
---
Special Agent Jethro Gibbs stood at the top of the rise, looking down at the naked man. He'd apparently passed away immediately after the Marines had found him. Tony was moving carefully around the body, taking photographs, while McGee was examining the perimeter. McGee returned shortly and said, "No breaks in the fence, boss. No footprints in the mud leading to or away from the body. No sign of... well, anyone. Other than the two Marines who found him."
Ducky was kneeling next to the body and called up, "There's no sign of trauma anywhere that I can see. Tony...?"
Tony knelt and put a hand on the body's shoulder, turning him so Ducky could examine his back. "There's gravel on the ground, but absolutely none imbedded in the poor boy's flesh. If he fell from a great height, or any height really..."
"You think he was placed here?"
"It's the only explanation."
"All right. Get him back to the morgue, see what you can find out."
Kate came up behind Gibbs and lifted her notebook. "Interviewed the Marines. Typical patrol, nothing out of the ordinary until there was a bright flash of light."
"Getaway vehicle, maybe," Tony said.
"No tire tracks," McGee said.
"You know, there was a meteor shower last night," Jimmy said, helping Ducky load the body onto the gurney. "Maybe this guy was hitching a ride on the ET Express."
Gibbs hid a smile. "No offense there, Jimmy. But I'd like to exhaust all terrestrial explanations before I start booking Klingons."
"Right. Well, I wasn't... a-actually positing that..."
Gibbs turned and walked off. Jimmy looked at Ducky and said, "He thinks I'm a simpleton, doesn't he?"
"No more than the rest of us do," Tony reassured him, patting him on the shoulder as he followed Gibbs out of the trees.
---
Kate was grabbed as soon as she stepped out of the elevator. "Kate!" Abby said, pinning her to the wall. "You gotta tell me. Everything. Tell me everything."
"About... what?"
"The abductee!"
"The... Abby, we don't even know where the guy came from!"
Abby stepped back and ticked off what they knew on her fingers. "Guy appears out of nowhere in the middle of a field. Said field is inside of Quantico and has no signs of anyone being near where it landed. Said body appeared moments after the Marines on-duty reported seeing a bright flash of light. Come on, Kate."
"Why was the body naked? Aliens kidnapped him and stole his pajamas?"
"Maybe they don't realize the importance of clothes. Maybe they abducted him from his bed and he was sleeping in the nude."
Kate rolled her eyes and headed for her desk. "Who sleeps in the nude?"
"I do," Abby said. "Why, what do you wear?"
"Yeah, Kate," Tony said, looking up from his desk. "What do you wear to bed?"
Kate glared at Abby. "See what you started? Don't you have work to be doing?"
"You guys brought me nothing! No footprints, no hairs, no fibers, no tire tracks, no bullets, no broken tree limbs, no gunpowder residue, no cloth, no rubber, no handcuffs..."
"Okay!!" Kate said, holding up her hand with a smile.
Abby sagged and said, "I suppose I could go help Ducky."
Kate sat down and said, "You could hang up out here if you wanted. Just no more X-Files talk. Deal?"
"Deal!" Abby said. She hurried around Gibbs' desk and plopped herself down in his seat. "So. Kate. What do you were to bed?"
"Go help Ducky," Kate said.
---
Ducky was staring at the chest X-rays when Gibbs entered, his brow furrowed beneath the edge of his paper cap. "Problem, Duck?"
"Eh, more of a lack of one, Jethro," Ducky said. He walked back to the table and indicated the body. "Our young John Doe seems to be in perfect health."
"He's dead, Ducky."
"Not for any reason I can ascertain. No broken bones, disqualifying the 'dropped-from-a-plane' theory. No signs of blood loss or any wounds where blood loss may have occurred. No bruising, no injuries whatsoever. And on the inside, he's just as pristine. If not more so. Up against you or me, this young man would beat us in a health competition."
"Health competition?" Gibbs asked.
Ducky shrugged. "Forgive me. I haven't had adequate time to work on my metaphors. This... just has me baffled, I'm afraid."
---
Tony sniffed the air and slowly lifted his head. He sniffed again and scanned the room. Something was different. New. Patchouli. Passion Flower. He rose slightly out of his chair. Herbal Essences Rain Forest Flowers shampoo. And... it was coming from...
"What are you doing?"
Tony growled. "Damn it, Kate! You interrupted my concentration! I was on the trail!" He closed his eyes and started sniffing the air again.
The blonde stepped between Tony and Kate's desks, staring at him before leaning down to Kate. "What is he doing?"
"Proving feminine superiority," Kate said, glaring at him. "May I help you?"
The woman smiled. "I'm looking for Special Agent Leroy Gibbs?"
"He actually goes by Jethro," Tony said. "Unless you're me, in which case its Boss or Sir." He extended a hand. "I'm Anthony DiNozzo. Special Agent... Anthony DiNozzo."
She shook his hand and said, "I'm Colonel Samantha Carter, Air Force liaison to NCIS."
"We have an Air Force liaison?" Kate asked.
"Sure," Tony said, sounding a bit skeptical himself. "Um, what can we help you with, Colonel?"
"I was told you found a body this morning in Quantico. I'd like to take a look at it if you don't mind."
"We mind," Gibbs said, suddenly appearing behind Carter. "NCIS does not have an Air Force liaison."
She turned and said, "Sorry. Um..."
"Special Agent Gibbs. Who are you?"
"Colonel Samantha Carter, US Air Force. We have reason to believe that the man you found this morning is one of our test pilots. He was in the middle of a test flight when he disappeared from our radar. As luck would have it, we lost his signal just south of Quantico."
"That is lucky," Tony said.
"Yes, it is. Especially when we learned your people had recovered a body from there."
Gibbs walked to his desk. "Your people generally do their test flights in the nude?"
Tony instinctively looked down at Carter's uniform. She took a step away from him and said, "No. We believe he was under the influence of a mind altering substance that caused him to remove his flight suit after the crash."
"Lots of explanations," Gibbs muttered. "Perfectly reasonable explanations."
"Yes," Carter said. "They're perfectly reasonable explanations. As opposed to your people, who... I think I overheard considering an alien abduction theory."
Gibbs glared at Kate and Tony. "We're not prepared to hand the body over at this time."
"Could I at least see it? Confirm that it is our pilot?"
"Tony, take her down."
Tony smiled. "It would be my pleasure, boss."
Carter glanced at Kate and said, "I don't suppose you would be willing to show me the way..."
"Sorry," Kate said.
Carter turned and reluctantly followed Tony to the elevator. He put his hand on her arm and said, "Have I mentioned your shampoo smells absolutely divine?"
---
Carter stood next to the bed, looking down at the man's face. "Yeah. This is him."
"Did you know him?" Tony asked, standing by the light box with Ducky.
"Not personally," Carter said. She put her hand on his upper arm and squeezed, turning to Tony and smiling. "It's just bizarre. Seeing someone you recognize from the mess hall lying on a table in the morgue." To Ducky, she asked, "Do you know what killed him?"
Ducky shook his head. "We haven't the slightest. As near as we can tell, the young man is in perfect health."
Carter nodded and said, "I trust you'll keep me informed of what you find?"
"We will," Tony said. "As... y-you know as far as..."
"I understand," Carter said. "Thank you, Agent DiNozzo."
"Tony."
She smiled and headed for the door. Tony walked out with her and Ducky moved to the body's side. He leaned down and lowered his voice. "A body as healthy as yours and a woman like that mourning you. We should all be so lucky in death, my good man." He patted the body's leg and chuckled, moving over to his desk.
As he opened a file, he heard a bizarre 'whooshing' sound behind him. A brilliantly white light reflected off all the walls, nearly blinding him. He turned, blinking away the sunspots and focusing on the tables.
The John Doe was gone.
"Good Lord!" Ducky gasped.
---
"Thank you for escorting me," Carter said.
"It was my pleasure," Tony assured her, stopping by the door. "Look, if you... want to check on how the investigation is going or... just want to talk..." He held out one of his cards.
Before Carter could take it, Gibbs snatched the card from his fingers and stepped between him and Carter. "What did you do?"
"Gibbs..."
Carter frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"Come on," Gibbs said, taking Carter's arm and leading her back into the building. To Tony, he said, "The body disappeared from the morgue."
"We were just down there!" Tony said.
"I know. It disappeared in a flash of light just after you left."
Carter closed her eyes and allowed herself to be led off.
---
McGee entered the observation room and stood next to Tony. "She is in the Air Force. Colonel Samantha Carter, stationed at Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs. Picture on the file confirmed it."
"Colorado?" Kate said. "Kind of a long way for a test flight."
In the opposite room, Samantha Carter was sitting patiently on her side of the table, staring at her reflection in the glass. Kate moved a couple of times, certain the woman was staring directly at her. After a few moments, Gibbs entered the room and put down his coffee. "Comfortable, Colonel?"
"Very. Thank you."
He sat down and folded his arms on the table, staring at her. "Care to explain to me how you did it?"
"I didn't do anything, Special Agent. Your agent was with me the entire time. When could I have done anything?"
"Well, no offense to Special Agent DiNozzo, but you do have an advantage over him. You're a bit distracting."
Carter smirked and looked away. "I think I'm going to wait until my counsel arrives."
Gibbs nodded and said, "Okay. Fair enough." He stood and gathered his things. He left his coffee and said, "Enjoy that. It's starting to get cold, but it's still good."
Alone in the room, Carter ignored the coffee. Tony sighed. "So much for DNA."
---
"Finally, some decent special effects in our lives!" Abby said. "Check this out." Gibbs leaned forward, watching the morgue security camera. From the camera's angle, the body was visible only from the knee down.
They watched Carter move next to the body. She disappeared out of frame for a moment and then returned. Tony escorted her from the room and Ducky bent down, speaking to the body apparently. He patted the corpse on the leg and moved towards his desk. And then, a few seconds later, the body was enveloped in white light. When the light faded, the table was empty.
"So Close Encounters."
"Abby," Gibbs warned.
"Come on, Gibbs! Body appears out of nowhere. Bright flashes of light. The U... S... Air Force. Test flights? Come on! They're out there flying UFOs around and someone apparently found the ejection seat." Her eyes widened. "What if the UFO is crashed out there, too? What if that's what Carter wanted?"
Gibbs sighed. "Colonel Carter did not arrive here in a ball of light. Find out where she came from."
"How?"
Gibbs held his hands out. "Backtrack."
---
Tony looked up as yet another visitor planted himself between his desk and Kate's. "Afternoon," Tony said.
The man smiled nervously. "Hi. Um... I'm Daniel Jackson." He extended his hand and shook it. "I'm Samant-- Colonel Samantha Carter's attorney."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, I'd really like to speak to her as soon as possible."
Tony stood and said, "Right. Okay, come on."
He led Jackson down the corridor, looking over his shoulder at the man. Daniel eventually noticed and said, "What?"
"Nothing," Tony said. "It's just... you know, those glasses, that suit. You look kind of like Alan Shore."
"I'm sorry?"
"Alan Shore? 'Boston Legal.' James Spader."
Daniel shook his head. "Sorry. Never heard of him."
Tony opened the door to the interrogation room and said, "Colonel. Your counsel."
"I trust we won't be observed?" Daniel said, indicating the one-way mirror.
"Attorney-client privilege," Tony said. "Couldn't if I wanted to. You have ten minutes." He shut the door and stepped across the hall.
Gibbs came down the hall a few minutes later, slowing as he neared Tony's position. "DiNozzo..."
"Carter's attorney showed up. They're having a chat." Gibbs moved to the door. "Uh, boss, you can't go in there... boss..."
Gibbs threw the door open and stepped inside. He was interrupting nothing, as it turned out. The room was completely empty. Tony searched the room, as if expecting Carter and Jackson to be hiding in the shadows. "Boss, this is... t-they couldn't have... I-I was at that door the whole time."
"The woman made a corpse disappear from the morgue, DiNozzo," Gibbs said, storming from the room.
Tony closed his eyes and mentally kicked himself.
---
Abby said, "Welcome to Time-Travel Theater. I am your host, Abigail Sciuto. And today, we will be..."
"Abby," Gibbs said.
"No sense of the dramatic, Gibbs," Abby sighed. She turned around and began typing. "Okay, this is our mysterious Colonel Samantha Carter entering the building at 11:43 AM." Sure enough, Carter was walking backwards from the elevators. She paused by the sign-in desk and then continued back to the garage entrance. "We reverse and see from the parking garage cameras that she parked in Green Section 24-A."
The car reversed out of the spot and headed for the front gate.
"Her car is still here?" Gibbs asked.
"We checked it out," McGee said. "Random rental, checked to Colonel Samantha Carter. She actually gave special instructions for it to be left here."
"She knew she wouldn't be leaving in it," Kate said.
"Go on, Abs."
"From the front desk, she turns west. Which means wherever she started was west of here. Naturally. This next clip is from a gas station. Colonel Carter proceeded... or rather receded... north. This next shot, I'm particular proud of. We owe this to State Trooper McGillicuddy, who was ticketing a speeding motorist at precisely 11:38 this morning. His dash cam caught Colonel Carter turning off of a farm access road."
"Where does the road lead?"
"Only one place, Gibbs."
"Address?"
Abby handed over the sheet and Gibbs snatched it, hurrying from the room. "Or you could just follow my very pain-stakingly compiled video footage."
"You did a phenomenal job, Abby," Kate said as she left the room.
Abby curtsied and said, "A little recognition every now and then is all I ask."
---
Gibbs climbed from the car, leaving his door open. He scanned the farm for signs of life. "This place has been abandoned for years, Gibbs," Tony said. "If the Air Force were running some kind of covert ops out of here, you'd think there would be guards... watch towers, Area 51-type stuff."
Gibbs squinted at the barn and said, "There."
Tony lifted his binoculars and spotted a sedan parked in front of the barn. "Ooh. That definitely isn't left behind by Old MacDonald. Good eyes, Boss."
"What's the plan?" Kate asked. "We don't have jurisdiction over the Air Force."
"They have our body," Gibbs said. "It was found on Quantico. Someone steals it from us, we steal it back. Simple enough for you?"
"Yeah," Kate said, sufficiently chided.
They left the car, Gibbs forming a spearhead with Kate and Tony on his flank. McGee brought up the rear as they crossed the rusty gate that crossed the dirt road. Gibbs brought his hand up on Tony's side, waving away from himself. Tony broke off, disappearing into the underbrush. He did the same thing on Kate's side and she broke off as well. McGee hurried forward and came up behind Gibbs as they reached the barn door.
Gibbs peered through the crack in the door, trying to see what they were dealing with. Three, maybe four people. The mysterious Colonel Carter was there, standing next to a large black man Gibbs prayed he wouldn't have to go hand-to-hand against. He heard several voices, but they were talking nonsense.
A man: "...ascended being wouldn't just keel over and die as soon as he regained corporeal form."
Carter: "...ME didn't find anything wrong with him. He appeared in a flash of light. What else would you..."
The black man, rising: "We are being observed."
Gibbs slipped back, wondering how the man possibly could have spotted him. He glanced back at McGee and then pushed the door open. "NCIS Federal agents! Put down any weapons and lace your fingers behind your head."
"Great," the man who'd spoken about 'ascended beings' said. "I told you beaming to Prometheus from their interrogation room was a bad idea."
"I didn't see any other way out, Daniel," Colonel Carter said.
Gibbs stepped into the room, gun drawn and seeing Tony and Kate entering from the opposite side of the building. Daniel and Carter put their hands behind their heads as ordered, spreading their legs in anticipation of being searched. The black man looked prepared to fight until Carter said, "Teal'c. Just do what they say."
Teal'c put his hands atop his head. Gibbs didn't feel one iota safer and approached him, looking up at the big man. His eyes were drawn to the golden tattoo on his forehead. "Am I going to have any problems from you, big guy?"
His eyes cut over to Carter, who shook her head.
"Until I receive orders otherwise," the man growled. "You will have my cooperation."
Kate stepped behind Carter, frisking her for weapons. "This is all a misunderstanding."
Tony and Teal'c both lifted their heads towards the ceiling. A moment later, Gibbs heard what had drawn their attention; helicopters.
"Black helicopters," McGee said, hurrying in from outside. "Honest-to-God, Gibbs."
Gibbs cuffed Teal'c while Tony and Kate took care of the other two. He went outside with McGee as the helicopters touched down, depositing a man in a blue jumpsuit. Despite his casual appearance, Gibbs immediately recognized the red stars on his collar. "General."
"General Jack O'Neill," the new arrival said. "US Air Force." He walked past Gibbs and McGee, heading into the barn. He looked at the three prisoners and, to Gibbs utter shock, smirked. "Oh, this is nice." He turned to the sergeant who'd gotten off the helicopter with him. "Walter, you got one of those cell phones with the camera built-in?"
"Sorry, Sir."
"Sir," Carter said. "If you don't mind..."
"All business with you, Carter," he sighed. He turned to Gibbs and said, "I assume you're the NCIS agents my people told me about."
"Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs."
"Ouch. Tough being saddled with that your whole life, I'll bet." He hooked his thumb over his shoulder and said, "Look, as much as I appreciate all your help, these folks are with me. And I'm afraid that body they took is also Air Force property."
Gibbs shook his head. "Afraid I can't do that, General. The body was found on Quantico. We--"
Kate's cell phone rang and she looked like the kid picked to do a problem on the blackboard. She fumbled for the phone, getting it from her purse and readying herself to hit 'ignore'... until she read the number on the screen. "Um... Gibbs..."
"You'll call them back."
"No, Gibbs, I won't."
Gibbs and O'Neill both turned to look at her. O'Neill said, "Praytell, Secret Agent. Who is calling you at this very inopportune time?"
"The... the President."
O'Neill feigned shock. "Of the United States? The current one?" He looked at Gibbs. "I'd... answer, if I were you."
Kate opened the phone. "Special Agent Todd. Y-yes, Sir. Yes, Sir. He's right here, Sir." She extended the phone to Gibbs and said, "He... wants you to hand the body and the Air Force officers over to... Jack."
O'Neill smirked. "Henry calls me Jack. We go..." He waved at the far wall, "Way, way back."
Gibbs put the phone to his ear. "Special Agent Gibbs. Yes, Mr. President. I understand. Yes, Sir." He hung up and handed Kate her phone. "Uncuff them."
"We're just going to go?"
Gibbs was already walking back to the barn door. "New rule. When the President tells you to play dead, you best get on your back and put all four in the air."
---
O'Neill walked out of the barn, watching as his medical team loaded the body onto their helicopter. Gibbs glanced over at the general and said, "Any plans to tell me what's going on?"
"Nope."
"National security?"
"Think... bigger."
"World?"
"Bigger."
Gibbs frowned, then chuckled. "My forensic scientist would love you."
O'Neill smirked and extended his hand to Gibbs. "No hard feelings, Special Agent Gibbs. I'm sure, had I been in your shoes, I would've done the same. You get bonus points, though, for tracking down someone who vanished into thin air."
"You want to tell me how they did that?"
"Magnets," O'Neill said.
Gibbs laughed and wandered back to his team. McGee looked perturbed. "So... they just take the body and go? We never find out what happened, how he just... appeared in Quantico?"
"That's the movies, Tim," Gibbs said. "Real life has loose ends. Come on. Let's get back to our regular cases."
"Regular cases," Kate said. "I'm still waiting for my first one of those..."
Tony laughed and brought up the rear as they returned to their car.