NCIS Season 10 Episode 1 - "Untitled" (kew121 idea!)
Story inspired by http://kew121.livejournal.com/ idea, so all credits go for her!
"...Season 10 begins with all the imperilled characters in the diner from the 200th episode?"
Tony opened his eyes. He was sitting down, on an empty table with a window to his left side. He blinked a few times trying to understand what he was seeing. It was a diner. He had never been there before. Some costumers were sitting at the counter. A lady was serving some meatball sandwiches. Rain was falling heavy outside. He got up, still confused, and stopped when he recognized the man in the counter looking at him with a grin.
- Franks! - Tony yelled with a big smile, and walked towards him ready to give him a hug, but suddenly stopped, and his expression went serious. - Oh wait… this can’t be good. - he said looking around. - Am I…? Am I…?
- I don’t freakin’ know, DiNozzo, are you? - Franks asked enjoying his beer casually.
- The last thing I remember was entering somewhere… and then a blast sound and then… and then…
He tried as hell to remember what happened before we woke up in that diner, but it was all fuzzy and incoherent. Many faces and voices flashed through his mind, but he couldn’t make a sense of it all.
- I’m dead, right? Something happened and now I’m dead. - he said feeling an emptiness. - he sat down next to Franks. - Well, I knew someday this would happen. I mean, we face danger every single day. It was just a matter of time, I guess.
Mike Franks agreed silently.
“DiNozzo!”
- What was that? -Tony asked looking up. - Did you hear that? Someone called my name.
Franks looked at the ceiling and shrugged his shoulders.
- You better answer, then. - and winked at him.
Tony opened and closed his mouth confused. Answer who? Was God calling him? Was that the normal procedure when someone died? He didn’t want to answer Him. He didn’t want to go anywhere. Something was wrong, something was missing…what? What was missing?
- You think too much. - said a woman’s voice right beside him.
And has he turned around, his eyes were in shock. “Kate”. There she was, with her wicked smile, her dark hair and truthful eyes.
- You look good, Kate. - he said honestly - I miss you, but you know that, right?
- Sure. I miss you too. And you’re looking good as well… You’re like fine wine.
“Tony!”
That voice again. He looked at the diner’s door. Rain was still pouring heavily, now accompanied by lightning, although he didn’t hear the thunder. When he turned his head to the counter again, his heart stopped - if he still had a heart in that place - Jenny was smiling at him with a waitress uniform.
- It was not your fault, Tony. - she said serving him a croissant. - It was never your fault. I always admired you. And I always will.
He felt like wanting to cry, but didn’t. Kate came closer, divided the croissant in half and started eating one part. Tony felt a sting in his heart. More lightning’s outside. Something was wrong…someone else was with him before he woke up in that freakin’ diner-limbo place. Why couldn’t he remember? The diner’s door opened suddenly and he felt a cold wind on his face. The voice calling him got louder. “C’mon, DiNozzo!”. He recognized that tone. Slowly he stood up and walk to the door. It was rainy and cold outside. No peace at all. He hesitated. Glanced back one more time to see Franks, Kate and Jenny smiling and waving at him. When he put a foot out of the diner, something made him look at the tables again, and that’s when he saw her. “Ziva”. She was alone, staring calmly at the window. She looked sad, but resigned. He called her, afraid to lose his voice, but she never responded. Just stayed there looking at the window. Tony was ready to go back inside again when Mike stopped his moves.
- If you stay, son, you will never go back. - he said, still holding a beer in his hand.
Tony’s eyes were getting watery. He closed his fists with rage as the wind and rain started to hit his face. He couldn’t leave her there. He couldn’t. She needed him. She had always needed him. “I can’t save them all”, he thought starting to feel angst inside his soul.
- But you can still save her. - Mike said, blinking.
“For God’s sake, DiNozzo, wake up!”
Tony’s eyes widened. It was Gibb’s voice. It was loud and clear now. He felt pain in his chest, and started to feel pain in his whole body too. Voices, screams and bips. He took one last look at her before leaving the diner.
He opened his eyes, once again. This time, no peace and calm. Just loud voices, human figures running around, people screaming and sirens. He recognized Gibbs and McGee’s faces looking at him completely frantic.
- Jeez! - said McGee covering his face in relief.
- Welcome back, DiNozzo. - Gibbs said with a weak smile. - I thought we’d lost you there for a moment.
"...Season 10 begins with all the imperilled characters in the diner from the 200th episode?"
Tony opened his eyes. He was sitting down, on an empty table with a window to his left side. He blinked a few times trying to understand what he was seeing. It was a diner. He had never been there before. Some costumers were sitting at the counter. A lady was serving some meatball sandwiches. Rain was falling heavy outside. He got up, still confused, and stopped when he recognized the man in the counter looking at him with a grin.
- Franks! - Tony yelled with a big smile, and walked towards him ready to give him a hug, but suddenly stopped, and his expression went serious. - Oh wait… this can’t be good. - he said looking around. - Am I…? Am I…?
- I don’t freakin’ know, DiNozzo, are you? - Franks asked enjoying his beer casually.
- The last thing I remember was entering somewhere… and then a blast sound and then… and then…
He tried as hell to remember what happened before we woke up in that diner, but it was all fuzzy and incoherent. Many faces and voices flashed through his mind, but he couldn’t make a sense of it all.
- I’m dead, right? Something happened and now I’m dead. - he said feeling an emptiness. - he sat down next to Franks. - Well, I knew someday this would happen. I mean, we face danger every single day. It was just a matter of time, I guess.
Mike Franks agreed silently.
“DiNozzo!”
- What was that? -Tony asked looking up. - Did you hear that? Someone called my name.
Franks looked at the ceiling and shrugged his shoulders.
- You better answer, then. - and winked at him.
Tony opened and closed his mouth confused. Answer who? Was God calling him? Was that the normal procedure when someone died? He didn’t want to answer Him. He didn’t want to go anywhere. Something was wrong, something was missing…what? What was missing?
- You think too much. - said a woman’s voice right beside him.
And has he turned around, his eyes were in shock. “Kate”. There she was, with her wicked smile, her dark hair and truthful eyes.
- You look good, Kate. - he said honestly - I miss you, but you know that, right?
- Sure. I miss you too. And you’re looking good as well… You’re like fine wine.
“Tony!”
That voice again. He looked at the diner’s door. Rain was still pouring heavily, now accompanied by lightning, although he didn’t hear the thunder. When he turned his head to the counter again, his heart stopped - if he still had a heart in that place - Jenny was smiling at him with a waitress uniform.
- It was not your fault, Tony. - she said serving him a croissant. - It was never your fault. I always admired you. And I always will.
He felt like wanting to cry, but didn’t. Kate came closer, divided the croissant in half and started eating one part. Tony felt a sting in his heart. More lightning’s outside. Something was wrong…someone else was with him before he woke up in that freakin’ diner-limbo place. Why couldn’t he remember? The diner’s door opened suddenly and he felt a cold wind on his face. The voice calling him got louder. “C’mon, DiNozzo!”. He recognized that tone. Slowly he stood up and walk to the door. It was rainy and cold outside. No peace at all. He hesitated. Glanced back one more time to see Franks, Kate and Jenny smiling and waving at him. When he put a foot out of the diner, something made him look at the tables again, and that’s when he saw her. “Ziva”. She was alone, staring calmly at the window. She looked sad, but resigned. He called her, afraid to lose his voice, but she never responded. Just stayed there looking at the window. Tony was ready to go back inside again when Mike stopped his moves.
- If you stay, son, you will never go back. - he said, still holding a beer in his hand.
Tony’s eyes were getting watery. He closed his fists with rage as the wind and rain started to hit his face. He couldn’t leave her there. He couldn’t. She needed him. She had always needed him. “I can’t save them all”, he thought starting to feel angst inside his soul.
- But you can still save her. - Mike said, blinking.
“For God’s sake, DiNozzo, wake up!”
Tony’s eyes widened. It was Gibb’s voice. It was loud and clear now. He felt pain in his chest, and started to feel pain in his whole body too. Voices, screams and bips. He took one last look at her before leaving the diner.
He opened his eyes, once again. This time, no peace and calm. Just loud voices, human figures running around, people screaming and sirens. He recognized Gibbs and McGee’s faces looking at him completely frantic.
- Jeez! - said McGee covering his face in relief.
- Welcome back, DiNozzo. - Gibbs said with a weak smile. - I thought we’d lost you there for a moment.