fic: POI NCIS Crossover AU 1: Team Building
TITLE: Team Building
AUTHOR: whomii2
DISCLAIMER: do not own
SUMMARY: John Reese joined NCIS when he returned from serving overseas to find that his fiancee Jessica had been murdered. Now he is Lead Agent for the New York Major Crime Response Team, which includes an ex-JAG lawyer (Carter), an ex-NY detective (Fusco), and an ex-CIA assassin (Shaw). Assisted by a Cybercrimes computer genius (Finch), a slightly crazy Forensic Technician ('Root'), and a Medical Examiner with a dark past (Elias) they solve crimes.....
John Reese had thought that when his tour of duty was over, he would return home to marry Jessica and start a new life with her. Sadly, that wasn't to be the case. He returned home from overseas only to find his fiancee dead, murdered, and no one knew who the killer might be. Initially he drowned his grief in the bottle. But eventually the thought of how disappointed Jessica would be in his throwing his life away gave him the impetus he needed to get back on his feet. He joined NCIS, hoping to prevent any other serviceman from having to deal with the uncertainty around the loss of a loved one that he had to shoulder. It was ironic, he had traveled the world looking for bad guys, and it turned out there were plenty at home all along.
His grim determination in tracking down those bad guys meant he progressed rapidly in his new career. He might not be a deductive mastermind, but he was smart and dogged in his pursuit of justice, following up the slightest lead and double-checking every detail to find that one detail that could crack a case wide open.
Then tragedy struck again. The New York office had been tracking some home-grown terrorists for a while. But their technological savvy made the group elusive and hard to pin down. Finally the NCIS office received an anonymous tip about a warehouse location used by the terrorist group. A large number of NY agents had converged on the site to take the terrorists into custody, only to have the meeting place destroyed in an explosion that cost the lives of most of the NCIS agents as well as the terrorists. John was one of the few survivors, although his injuries meant he was on desk duty doing reports or working cold cases for quite a while.
But something about the way things went down bothered him. While the terrorists had shown they were ready to kill or even die for their cause, John didn't think that they would martyr themselves like that. Almost the entire network had been killed in the explosion, with only a few low-level members left who were quickly taken into custody. They had effectively put an end to their cause when they triggered that explosion. And who had supplied that convenient tip off? Reese felt that there must have been more going on than they knew. He suspected that there was still someone else out there, someone who had pulled the strings and gotten away scot free when he erased all the evidence and any contacts in the explosion.
Unfortunately Reese had trouble convincing anyone else of what his gut was telling him. Most of the other agents left in the New York office humored him out of pity, but thought his theory was simply a manifestation of survivor's guilt. Everyone else just wanted to put the case to rest and move on, to have some closure and feel that those responsible for their colleagues' deaths were no more. So Reese tried to chase down leads on his own while also toiling away on cold cases. But he wasn't having much luck.
On one particular Friday he had been trying to find some sort of lead most of the day and on into the evening but still nothing. He had removed his sling to better type on the computer and forgone his prescribed pain medication to keep his mind clear but it hadn't helped. He leaned back in his chair and reached for his mug, growling in frustration when the movement aggravated his shoulder and he realized the mug was empty anyway. His dark mood was interrupted by a quiet voice inquiring “Is there something I can help you with?”
Barely restraining his urge to take his frustration out on his hapless colleague, John turned around to find to his surprise the recently appointed head of the Cyber Department staring at him quizzically through his glasses. Harold Finch had been one of the new personnel brought in during the upheaval and reorganization following the explosion. He had quickly whipped the demoralized and disorganized Cyber Department back into shape so that it was functioning like a well-oiled machine. But recently the man had been incommunicado, with rumors swirling that he was involved in some hush-hush operation.
John gave a discouraged wave at his computer and said wryly “Just trying to find a needle in a haystack, when I don't even know where the haystack is.”
“You look like you could use a break. I was just going to refresh my tea. Perhaps you could come with me for a cup of coffee and let me know what you are looking for. I might be able to make a suggestion. Or if not, sometimes just restating the parameters of the problem can lead to new insight.”
So the two headed to the break room and settled at one of the tables after getting their drinks. John filled the other man in on the investigation of the terrorist organization, the events leading up to the disastrous raid on the warehouse, and John's own suspicions that it wasn't over, that there was still someone out there.
Finch listened attentively through the recitation, asking a few questions for clarification but for the most part keeping quiet. When John had finished speaking Finch pondered for a moment before standing up and saying “I see. Show me what you have so far.”
Unfortunately what John had was mostly nothing. But he led the other man back to his computer and explained the search he had been trying when Finch wandered by on his way down from MTAC.
“May I?” Finch asked as he gestured toward the computer. John gave the other man his seat and pulled over another chair while Harold started typing away. John wasn't sure if the other man believed him or was just humoring him but he was grateful for any assistance.
After about 30 minutes the typing stopped and Harold leaned forward to peer at something on the screen.
“What is it?”
“I am not sure Agent Reese, but I think I may have located your haystack.”
And so it began. Odd hours snatched on nights and weekends. Harold searching for electronic clues and John running down any resulting leads. Or sometimes it was the both of them. Finch seemed a bit excited to be out in the “real world” instead of the cyber world and Reese just appreciated someone who believed in him and didn't think it was all in his head. Finally they had their culprit. Enough bits and pieces collected to form a compelling pattern. Then the final damning piece of evidence that was the “smoking gun” that would nail their perpetrator.
John felt immense satisfaction when he put the cuffs on the man himself. Word had spread quickly when Reese had applied for the warrant and recruited several agents as back up to go make the arrest, so on his return to the office he was greeted with a standing ovation and cheers from his fellow agents.
In recognition of his success with the high-profile case John was offered the chance to be Lead Agent on a newly formed Major Crime Response Team for the New York office.
Reese began by interviewing potential agents for the most important position: his Senior Field Agent. The person who would be his second in command and back up when Reese was unavailable. It was vital that John find the right person to fill the spot. Part of that person's duties would be to help mold and train the other additional agents into a cohesive and efficient team.
He sat down with each candidate in a conference room, asking questions about their experience and briefly explaining what he personally expected of his second in command. Most of the interviewees were polite and respectful and congratulated him on his success closing such a big case nearly on his own (as Reese was always quick to point out the contributions of Finch).
Agent Carter's response was a little different.
Carter was a former army interrogator who had passed the bar when she returned stateside. She had considered joining the police force, but as a single parent with a young son decided that JAG was more appropriate. It had less inherent danger and more regular hours, allowing her more time with her son. Now that Taylor was older with his own friends and activities she wanted to take on a more hands-on role in catching the bad guys.
The questions about her CV and the explanation of how the new MCRT might function had gone well, but when the topic of the recent case came up Carter frowned at John and let him have it.
“What were you thinking taking Finch into the field? He may as well be a civilian with what little experience he has.”
“Harold knew what was at stake when he volunteered to help” Reese said a bit defensively.
“I'm not questioning Finch's courage or commitment. I am questioning your judgment. Finch isn't a field agent and you know it. You had the man doing stakeouts with you (and god knows what else) where you placed him in proximity to the perps. You know how things can go sideways even on a routine stakeout. What if you had gotten into a gunfight?”
“I took Harold to the range and made sure he knew how to handle his weapon.”
“Shooting a target and shooting a person are two very different things. And any hesitation in the field could get him killed. You should have been protecting Finch, not relying on him to back you up if anything went down. Even Dr. Elias has Anthony with him and he is rarely at a crime scene that isn't loaded with other Agents.”
“Anthony is just there to assist Elias with the bodies”
“Anthony is packing almost as many weapons as you are. And if I'm not mistaken the Doctor is armed as well. Despite what you have seen in horror movies, I doubt that their weapons are there for the corpses” Carter retorted.
Reese didn't really have a response because in his heart he knew she was right. He had been so focused on proving his theory and so glad of any assistance on the case that he had taken unconscionable risks with Harold's life. It was only great good fortune that the whole affair hadn't ended in tragedy. From now on Reese would ensure that he never let his need to find the truth take precedence over the welfare of his agents. And if he forgot again Carter would be there to remind him. She would be the perfect second on his team, her strong belief in following the rules and procedures from her legal background counterbalancing his more aggressive no-holds-barred attitude. They might not see eye-to-eye on everything, but a little friction between them would make them sharper and better agents.
With Carter at his side and Finch providing technical support the nascent team was able to start taking a more active role in investigations. Reese and Carter still butted heads from time-to-time, but overall managed to form a close and effective partnership. It was good that they had the time to work out the kinks in their professional relationship before they expanded the team to include their other unusual members.
Fusco was the next to be added. He had been a police Detective when they first met him while working a case. His help had been invaluable in uncovering the dirty cops who were responsible for the petty officer's death. But helping to put away his own Captain, corrupt or not, didn't do any favors for Lionel's career with the NYPD. So John had offered him a place on his team. Fusco's contacts both on and off the force would be a great help to them. His friendly, easy-going manner was also useful in putting at ease victims, witnesses, or potential suspects. Certainly Reese and Carter weren't known for their diplomatic skills. Although there was some question about just how involved in HR Fusco might have been, at the end of the day he had thrown in his lot with them and Reese felt he deserved a chance. The fact that he had taken a bullet for Carter, albeit only receiving a flesh wound, in John's mind more than counterbalanced any shady doings in his past.
Their final member was Shaw. At first she had been implicated in one of their investigations. But they soon learned that she was innocent, and was being used as a fall-guy for an unsanctioned and illegal CIA operation. They saved her life and cleared her name when they put away the real perpetrators. Shaw was rather sullen and cynical after being burned by the Agency and almost didn't accept Reese's offer of a spot on his team. John never knew what changed her mind, but he was glad to offer her an alternative to the black ops work she had been doing and instead give her a chance to put away the bad guys instead of becoming one of the bad guys.
That is, unless one day she killed Lionel for calling her 'Probie' one time too many.
AUTHOR: whomii2
DISCLAIMER: do not own
SUMMARY: John Reese joined NCIS when he returned from serving overseas to find that his fiancee Jessica had been murdered. Now he is Lead Agent for the New York Major Crime Response Team, which includes an ex-JAG lawyer (Carter), an ex-NY detective (Fusco), and an ex-CIA assassin (Shaw). Assisted by a Cybercrimes computer genius (Finch), a slightly crazy Forensic Technician ('Root'), and a Medical Examiner with a dark past (Elias) they solve crimes.....
John Reese had thought that when his tour of duty was over, he would return home to marry Jessica and start a new life with her. Sadly, that wasn't to be the case. He returned home from overseas only to find his fiancee dead, murdered, and no one knew who the killer might be. Initially he drowned his grief in the bottle. But eventually the thought of how disappointed Jessica would be in his throwing his life away gave him the impetus he needed to get back on his feet. He joined NCIS, hoping to prevent any other serviceman from having to deal with the uncertainty around the loss of a loved one that he had to shoulder. It was ironic, he had traveled the world looking for bad guys, and it turned out there were plenty at home all along.
His grim determination in tracking down those bad guys meant he progressed rapidly in his new career. He might not be a deductive mastermind, but he was smart and dogged in his pursuit of justice, following up the slightest lead and double-checking every detail to find that one detail that could crack a case wide open.
Then tragedy struck again. The New York office had been tracking some home-grown terrorists for a while. But their technological savvy made the group elusive and hard to pin down. Finally the NCIS office received an anonymous tip about a warehouse location used by the terrorist group. A large number of NY agents had converged on the site to take the terrorists into custody, only to have the meeting place destroyed in an explosion that cost the lives of most of the NCIS agents as well as the terrorists. John was one of the few survivors, although his injuries meant he was on desk duty doing reports or working cold cases for quite a while.
But something about the way things went down bothered him. While the terrorists had shown they were ready to kill or even die for their cause, John didn't think that they would martyr themselves like that. Almost the entire network had been killed in the explosion, with only a few low-level members left who were quickly taken into custody. They had effectively put an end to their cause when they triggered that explosion. And who had supplied that convenient tip off? Reese felt that there must have been more going on than they knew. He suspected that there was still someone else out there, someone who had pulled the strings and gotten away scot free when he erased all the evidence and any contacts in the explosion.
Unfortunately Reese had trouble convincing anyone else of what his gut was telling him. Most of the other agents left in the New York office humored him out of pity, but thought his theory was simply a manifestation of survivor's guilt. Everyone else just wanted to put the case to rest and move on, to have some closure and feel that those responsible for their colleagues' deaths were no more. So Reese tried to chase down leads on his own while also toiling away on cold cases. But he wasn't having much luck.
On one particular Friday he had been trying to find some sort of lead most of the day and on into the evening but still nothing. He had removed his sling to better type on the computer and forgone his prescribed pain medication to keep his mind clear but it hadn't helped. He leaned back in his chair and reached for his mug, growling in frustration when the movement aggravated his shoulder and he realized the mug was empty anyway. His dark mood was interrupted by a quiet voice inquiring “Is there something I can help you with?”
Barely restraining his urge to take his frustration out on his hapless colleague, John turned around to find to his surprise the recently appointed head of the Cyber Department staring at him quizzically through his glasses. Harold Finch had been one of the new personnel brought in during the upheaval and reorganization following the explosion. He had quickly whipped the demoralized and disorganized Cyber Department back into shape so that it was functioning like a well-oiled machine. But recently the man had been incommunicado, with rumors swirling that he was involved in some hush-hush operation.
John gave a discouraged wave at his computer and said wryly “Just trying to find a needle in a haystack, when I don't even know where the haystack is.”
“You look like you could use a break. I was just going to refresh my tea. Perhaps you could come with me for a cup of coffee and let me know what you are looking for. I might be able to make a suggestion. Or if not, sometimes just restating the parameters of the problem can lead to new insight.”
So the two headed to the break room and settled at one of the tables after getting their drinks. John filled the other man in on the investigation of the terrorist organization, the events leading up to the disastrous raid on the warehouse, and John's own suspicions that it wasn't over, that there was still someone out there.
Finch listened attentively through the recitation, asking a few questions for clarification but for the most part keeping quiet. When John had finished speaking Finch pondered for a moment before standing up and saying “I see. Show me what you have so far.”
Unfortunately what John had was mostly nothing. But he led the other man back to his computer and explained the search he had been trying when Finch wandered by on his way down from MTAC.
“May I?” Finch asked as he gestured toward the computer. John gave the other man his seat and pulled over another chair while Harold started typing away. John wasn't sure if the other man believed him or was just humoring him but he was grateful for any assistance.
After about 30 minutes the typing stopped and Harold leaned forward to peer at something on the screen.
“What is it?”
“I am not sure Agent Reese, but I think I may have located your haystack.”
And so it began. Odd hours snatched on nights and weekends. Harold searching for electronic clues and John running down any resulting leads. Or sometimes it was the both of them. Finch seemed a bit excited to be out in the “real world” instead of the cyber world and Reese just appreciated someone who believed in him and didn't think it was all in his head. Finally they had their culprit. Enough bits and pieces collected to form a compelling pattern. Then the final damning piece of evidence that was the “smoking gun” that would nail their perpetrator.
John felt immense satisfaction when he put the cuffs on the man himself. Word had spread quickly when Reese had applied for the warrant and recruited several agents as back up to go make the arrest, so on his return to the office he was greeted with a standing ovation and cheers from his fellow agents.
In recognition of his success with the high-profile case John was offered the chance to be Lead Agent on a newly formed Major Crime Response Team for the New York office.
Reese began by interviewing potential agents for the most important position: his Senior Field Agent. The person who would be his second in command and back up when Reese was unavailable. It was vital that John find the right person to fill the spot. Part of that person's duties would be to help mold and train the other additional agents into a cohesive and efficient team.
He sat down with each candidate in a conference room, asking questions about their experience and briefly explaining what he personally expected of his second in command. Most of the interviewees were polite and respectful and congratulated him on his success closing such a big case nearly on his own (as Reese was always quick to point out the contributions of Finch).
Agent Carter's response was a little different.
Carter was a former army interrogator who had passed the bar when she returned stateside. She had considered joining the police force, but as a single parent with a young son decided that JAG was more appropriate. It had less inherent danger and more regular hours, allowing her more time with her son. Now that Taylor was older with his own friends and activities she wanted to take on a more hands-on role in catching the bad guys.
The questions about her CV and the explanation of how the new MCRT might function had gone well, but when the topic of the recent case came up Carter frowned at John and let him have it.
“What were you thinking taking Finch into the field? He may as well be a civilian with what little experience he has.”
“Harold knew what was at stake when he volunteered to help” Reese said a bit defensively.
“I'm not questioning Finch's courage or commitment. I am questioning your judgment. Finch isn't a field agent and you know it. You had the man doing stakeouts with you (and god knows what else) where you placed him in proximity to the perps. You know how things can go sideways even on a routine stakeout. What if you had gotten into a gunfight?”
“I took Harold to the range and made sure he knew how to handle his weapon.”
“Shooting a target and shooting a person are two very different things. And any hesitation in the field could get him killed. You should have been protecting Finch, not relying on him to back you up if anything went down. Even Dr. Elias has Anthony with him and he is rarely at a crime scene that isn't loaded with other Agents.”
“Anthony is just there to assist Elias with the bodies”
“Anthony is packing almost as many weapons as you are. And if I'm not mistaken the Doctor is armed as well. Despite what you have seen in horror movies, I doubt that their weapons are there for the corpses” Carter retorted.
Reese didn't really have a response because in his heart he knew she was right. He had been so focused on proving his theory and so glad of any assistance on the case that he had taken unconscionable risks with Harold's life. It was only great good fortune that the whole affair hadn't ended in tragedy. From now on Reese would ensure that he never let his need to find the truth take precedence over the welfare of his agents. And if he forgot again Carter would be there to remind him. She would be the perfect second on his team, her strong belief in following the rules and procedures from her legal background counterbalancing his more aggressive no-holds-barred attitude. They might not see eye-to-eye on everything, but a little friction between them would make them sharper and better agents.
With Carter at his side and Finch providing technical support the nascent team was able to start taking a more active role in investigations. Reese and Carter still butted heads from time-to-time, but overall managed to form a close and effective partnership. It was good that they had the time to work out the kinks in their professional relationship before they expanded the team to include their other unusual members.
Fusco was the next to be added. He had been a police Detective when they first met him while working a case. His help had been invaluable in uncovering the dirty cops who were responsible for the petty officer's death. But helping to put away his own Captain, corrupt or not, didn't do any favors for Lionel's career with the NYPD. So John had offered him a place on his team. Fusco's contacts both on and off the force would be a great help to them. His friendly, easy-going manner was also useful in putting at ease victims, witnesses, or potential suspects. Certainly Reese and Carter weren't known for their diplomatic skills. Although there was some question about just how involved in HR Fusco might have been, at the end of the day he had thrown in his lot with them and Reese felt he deserved a chance. The fact that he had taken a bullet for Carter, albeit only receiving a flesh wound, in John's mind more than counterbalanced any shady doings in his past.
Their final member was Shaw. At first she had been implicated in one of their investigations. But they soon learned that she was innocent, and was being used as a fall-guy for an unsanctioned and illegal CIA operation. They saved her life and cleared her name when they put away the real perpetrators. Shaw was rather sullen and cynical after being burned by the Agency and almost didn't accept Reese's offer of a spot on his team. John never knew what changed her mind, but he was glad to offer her an alternative to the black ops work she had been doing and instead give her a chance to put away the bad guys instead of becoming one of the bad guys.
That is, unless one day she killed Lionel for calling her 'Probie' one time too many.