History Lessons: NCIS Style
- (2) Of Dreams And Curses -
Rating: PG/P12
Summary/Spoiler: ...Oh I want to spoil, but I won't. Just the previous history lesson
Author's Note: Hello all, welcome to your April History Lesson, once again the history lesson will be posted at the end, but if you guess before the end or rather before its revealed, Kudos to you. Admittedly, this is a side obsession of mine so hence you're getting a lesson. PS ROTC stands for Reserve Officer's Training Corp, it's a college Military program.
1984 written by George Orwell.
"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen," she read aloud softly.
"A military book," he decided. She rolled her eyes affectionately having gotten quite used to his commentary as she read aloud to him. "Finally something good."
"It's not a military book, Jethro," she sighed. "It's a commentary."
"Oh a commentary," he remarked trying to impersonate a scholar. He traced his hand up her leg where it was lying on the bed. She swatted his hand away.
"Yes a commentary, a very good one."
"Read it, freshman year, college." He tried the gentle caress again. "Jenny..." She continued to read the book a little while longer till she could no longer deny it.
"Jethro..." her tone was a warning. She closed the book, a sign he took as a victory. "I get to pick the next book."
"You picked this one," he protested, happy to have her undivided attention. She laughed softly a sound he heard much more often, a sound he seemed to get out of her much more often. Their new relationship was still very new, barely a month old, but they had the advantage of hindsight, and while there were still fights they were easily remedied. They had finally come up with other activities besides their favorite, and one of them was reading. Leroy Jethro Gibbs avoided reading books on a general principle, mainly because he hadn't found time, but Jennifer Shepard loved books, she just never got the chance to read much more than case reports, till now. Now they read together, usually she read aloud to him, he liked her voice, loved it actually. Sometimes they sanded his newest boat, or she read while he sanded. It was very domesticated, which as so far from both their normal personas that they relished it.
"You never pick Jethro," she reminded, putting the book on the nightstand, shifting down to lay beside him. He pulled her into his side, leaning over to kiss her when the shrill ring of his cell phone broke the mood.
"I am going to break that damn thing."
"Rule number three Jethro," she soothed, leaning over and grabbing his cell. "It's McGee."
"McGee!"
"Boss we have a bit of a problem."
"McGee, its twelve-thirty in the morning this better be good."
"Boss, you need to come down here, we've got a mummy."
"Get Ducky."
"And maybe you could call the Director."
"Why?"
"Because Ziva is refusing but claims we need her help..." McGee was cut off.
"Gibbs, it's a bit of a feely subject..."
"Touchy, Ziva!" Tony corrected in the background.
"Whatever!" She snapped. "Gibbs, you really need to come down. The press will be..." Gibbs hung up the phone and tossed it turning back to his companion.
"Well I heard my title, who'd McGee hack into this time?"
"They have a mummy, Ziva says it's a touchy subject and that the press will be there soon," he explained disinterested.
"Uh huh, and what did they want me for?"
"Smooth over our relationship with the press."
"Because they just love your brand of charm, alright," she sighed wondering if it was possible to wear jeans and sneakers to work instead of a suit and heels. She moved to get out of bed but he held her back. "Jethro?"
"We don't have to go."
"Out of bed Jethro," she sighed. "Now."
"Spoil sport," he huffed before swinging his legs over the other side a getting up. She grabbed her clothes from her side of the closet. They had basically begun to share her closet, just as they shared his closet in her house. It was just easier than trying to leave clothes in the office or to pack a bag. She slid into her jeans and a sweater, knowing it was still chilly out. He pulled on a pair of jeans as well and a pullover. She went to grab her car keys but stopped as he took them.
"I have to get to work to."
"I'll drive."
"Jethro..." she trailed off, their relationship was a still a secret, and she wanted it to stay that way.
"It'll be fine, they know I wouldn't let you go anywhere without your detail anyway, c'mon."
"We can stop for coffee."
"Okay."
"And linger...if we left and just went straight they would know." He said nothing but led her out to the car. They did get coffee and Jenny told him to get something for his team, that they were probably hungry. When they strolled into the squad room a half hour later, the team looked up and Ziva glared at Tony to make sure he kept his mouth shut.
"Now what was so damn important?" Gibbs inquired taking a sip of the coffee as he dumped the bag with donuts onto Tony's desk.
"Well Boss, they found a mummy down at the base and..."
"Gear up."
"Actually Boss, they delivered it here," McGee informed.
"You told them to compromise a crime scene?" Jenny questioned.
"No Director," Ziva assured. "It was how we found out about it."
"Get down to the base and interview them, go collect evidence." The team stood watching him. "Fetch!" The team scrambled toward the elevator but Gibbs caught McGee.
"McGee, you stay, where is this mummy?"
"Autopsy Boss, but..." Gibbs headed off. Jenny followed and McGee quickly caught up. "Boss it doesn't..." But Gibbs gave the silent sign and McGee sighed. I did try to warn them. They entered autopsy to find Abby and Ducky, Abby protesting Ducky's exhumation.
"Ducky you shouldn't disturb it!"
"My dear, we have to make sure this is in fact a mummy and not a murder cover up."
"It's cursed Ducky!"
"Abby that is pure superstition"
"Oh yea what about Howard Carter?" She shot back.
"Who's Carter?" Gibbs interrupted ending the fight.
"He found King Tut Boss, died afterwards, most people thought it was because of the curse..." McGee began.
"But it turned out to be some sort of parasite," Ducky said.
"Get to it Ducky," Gibbs ordered. "Abby..."
"Stop Ducky," Jenny countermanded. Gibbs looked over at her surprised. She went a little closer looking over the hieroglyphics. "Abby, have you translated this?"
"Yes Director, ‘Misfortune befalls those who disturb,' that sounds like a curse to me."
"Did you get a name?"
"Not a name exactly... these symbols over here," Abby pointed to the top of the sarcophagus. "Translate to Princess and Amen-Ra, it might be her title."
"McGee you weren't' kidding, we do have a big problem," Jenny remarked taking a large step away from it. "Jethro find answers, quickly and get rid of this thing." Gibbs looked at her mutinously and she glared back.
"Oh..." Abby muttered.
"Abbs?"
"Uh Gibbs, I think the Director is right. Wasn't The Princess of Amen-Ra the one..." Abby let her question hang as she turned to Jenny.
"Yes, which begs the question, how did it get to DC?" Jenny remarked.
"You care to tell me about this?" Gibbs demanded to both women.
"Well the story goes something along the lines of the mummy was found by some English explorers and it was sent back to Europe after misfortune fell the discovers and then..."
"Oh the story," Ziva commented entering autopsy.
"I thought I told you to fetch."
"We tried Boss, cars won't start."
"All of the cars?" Gibbs questioned.
"Yes, boss, we even tried to jump them, they're dead, it's the weirdest thing."
"It's the curse," Ziva stated. "So have you finished the story?"
"Just started actually," Jenny replied. She gestured for Abby to continue.
"So anyway, the mummy went to the British museum but all sorts of bad things kept happening and they really just wanted to get rid of it so they sold it to a wealthy American, who didn't believe in curses."
"This sounds like a bad horror movie," Tony said.
"It gets worse," Ziva continued glancing at Abby who nodded. "The American had the mummy stored in the hold of the ship he was traveling back to America on. The ship was on its maiden voyage."
"So its gets to America and what?" McGee questioned appearing thoroughly entranced with the lore.
"The ship never reached New York," Ziva responded.
"What happened to it?" Tony asked.
"The ship it was placed on was called the Ship of Dreams," Jenny answered. "And it was."
"Really?" Tony said making sure his thoughts weren't that far off.
"It really was."
"Ship got a name?" Gibbs cut in.
"Yes Boss."
"When it was salvaged, did they find the mummy?"
"Uh Boss...it can't exactly be salvaged," McGee informed having figured out the answer.
"Do they not know where the ship was?"
"They know it's just...in deep water."
"How deep?"
"Two and half miles, Gibbs," Abby piped up. "Really its next to impossible, there's one submarine that can go down that far, Alvin, but even then it can't take up much."
"What's the name of the damn ship?" Gibbs thundered.
"The R.M.S. Titanic, Boss," Tony responded. Gibbs looked over at Jenny who nodded.
"And you think this mummy cursed the ship?" Abby and Ziva nodded. "Ha, the ship was called ‘unsinkable' that alone is a curse."
"Jethro you don't have to believe us, but the fact still remains that this mummy should be two and half miles under the ocean, not sitting in NCIS Autopsy!" He said nothing but walked out of autopsy, Jenny clenched her fists, stubborn man! "McGee, Abby pull a cargo manifest for Titanic, Ducky see if you can't do an autopsy without doing one. Use the x-ray machine or something, Ziva take Gibbs' car, or have my driver take you and Tony wherever this thing came from."
"Uh Director..."
"Tony, Gibbs maybe your Boss, but I have the power to fire you, move it!" She walked out noticing the elevator was sitting on the autopsy floor. So not going to get stuck in it with him, she decided to take the stairs. As she turned to the stairwell she felt a hand grab her wrist and immediately turned around to defend herself, only to have Gibbs stop her in place.
"Your reaction time is pretty good," he idly mentioned holding both her wrists in one hand.
"Jethro, I have work to do."
"You have an investigation to run."
"Oh no, that's you. It's your team."
"Who's team?" He clarified using a smug grin she hated.
"Your team Jethro," she repeated. He nodded seemingly satisfied with the answer, but not to the point where he let her go. She struggled just a little bit more but only half heartedly. She was disappointed their early actions had been interrupted, but she was fully aware that the middle of the hall at NCIS was not the place to pick it up. "Jethro I really have to do work."
"So what exactly do I need to know about Titanic?" She looked at him surprised.
"Jethro do you live in your basement?" She inquired.
"Nooo," he drawled, placing a soft kiss on her wrist. "As I'm sure you're well aware."
"Jethro..."
"So what about this ship?"
"The R.M.S. Titanic sank on April 15, 1912 at about 2:22am after striking an iceberg early that evening. They think she stayed afloat for about two hours before she finally slipped under around then. They were the first ship to try the SOS signal and a few ships answered and made for them, but were too far away. There were rumors of a third ship nearby that would have been able to save almost everyone, but it was never proven without a doubt, and most believed they were doing illegal sealing or something else." She looked over to make sure he was listening and he had the smug look of satisfaction she knew so well. "What?"
"You said she." She raised an eyebrow. "You called the boat a she." She rolled her eyes; maybe she was spending too much time around him.
"Anyway, they tried to find it but it wasn't until 1985 that they did discover it, a team led by Doctor Robert Ballard, using Alvin, the deep sea sub Abby was telling you about.
"Great, so how would a mummy that was supposed to be put on a ship that sank, end up in DC?"
"That's your job to figure out, Jethro. I have to go play nice with the Sister Agencies."
"Okay," he replied brushing a quick kiss to her cheek, before stepping away. He let her go up the stairs first watching her every step entranced with the movement of her body. He knew he had to push those thoughts away, at least till later. She continued up to her office while he sat down at his desk and began to work.
---
He had gone out to get a coffee refill and come back to find Ziva and Tony bickering which was nothing unusual, but McGee arguing with them, that was. He listened for a bit making sure he knew who deserved the head slaps and who didn't, before realizing that it was bickering over the case. He came up behind them, wacked DiNozzo on the back of the head and watched the other two move back to their desks.
"What do we have?"
"Well Boss, I checked the cargo list for Titanic, there was no mummy listed but there were several first class passengers that had things in the hold that were not specified by what was in it, just if it was a crate or not," McGee explained.
"We have slightly more luck; the people on the base are freaked out, nothing ratty."
"Fishy," Tony corrected his partner. "She means fishy, Boss. No one is missing, everyone who was supposed to be at work showed up, ran background checks there all clear."
"Unfortunately everything is not clear," Ducky sighed coming up into the squad room. "At the Director's request I performed x-rays on our mummy. It is most defiantly not a mummy, but rather a treasure chest."
"Treasure Duck?" Gibbs questioned.
"There's so much metal in there, I'll have no choice but to open it, but there's no evidence of any organic matter."
"Open it, send the sample to Abby." Ducky nodded but paused in his retreat back to his domain.
"Jethro, something bothering me about all this..."
"Today Duck."
"Well, if this is the actual sarcophagus, where's the mummy?"
"A valid question Doctor Mallard," Jenny answered coming down up to the team. "What news?"
"Treasure in the sarcophagus, no mummy, no record of a mummy on the Titanic, and no leads," Gibbs summed up.
"Your favorite kind of case Jethro," she patronized.
"Director, are we sure it's real?"
"Ziva?"
"If the sarcophagus is not really, it is a very good fake," Ziva informed.
"Well it's not a fake," Abby announced coming around the corner. "I tested the paint chips, the date back to approximately 375BC."
"That would be authentic," Ziva agreed.
"Hey in The Mummy they hid stuff in sarcophaguses!" Tony interjected. "Maybe it's a common practice."
"DiNozzo!"
"Sorry Boss."
"Actually Boss, Tony's on to something."
"I am, McGeek, McGoogle."
"According to the literature some sarcophagi were used as carrier chests to contain organs and treasures of the pharaohs."
"Great well find where this one came from and get it out of here," Gibbs ordered.
"I can help with that," Jenny said. Gibbs looked over at her. "Well you were all chasing suspects, some ROTC sailors came by to confess."
"When exactly were you planning to tell me?"
"Right now, they're sitting in interrogation with their lawyers. Apparently as some punishment they were to unload one of the supply ships and this was cargo for the museums, they wanted to play some jokes on some friends. Harmless stuff you know."
"Harmless?" Gibbs echoed. He marched toward interrogation the team exchanging glances before hurrying to follow. They piled into the viewing room watching Gibbs barge into the interrogation room. The two ROTC students were on their feet immediately starring straight ahead. Jenny had to withhold her laughter. Gibbs in Marine mode was a sight in and of itself but watching as his own team straightened a little more was just that much better. "Name?"
"Cadet Smith, SIR!"
"Cadet Youngs SIR!" The two answered simultaneously.
"Do you know what you've done CADETS?" He growled.
"SIR YES SIR!"
"Do you understand it is a federal offense to steal artifacts?"
"We didn't steal them."
"What was that Cadet?" Gibbs barked.
"Nothing Sir!" The other Cadet answered quickly. Gibbs stared at the two for a second.
"Face front Cadets!" The two turned quickly, Gibbs knocked on the glass window. Jenny left and moved out and into interrogation.
"Agent Gibbs?"
"These two have volunteered to help return the sarcophagus get to its rightful owner. They will also be delivering reports to their CO's about their misconduct and why they will never waste NCIS's time again."
"Very well," Jenny agreed. "Agent DiNozzo, Officer David, escort the young Cadets to autopsy." Tony and Ziva waited in the hallway as the two Cadets marched out and followed them. Jenny waited in the hall as Gibbs stepped up to her.
"So guess we'll never know about that mummy and the Titanic now will we?"
"Just one of her many secrets," Jenny replied. McGee and Abby stepped forward.
"Actually Director, its highly unlikely that the mummy was even on board. It's thought to be just a myth."
"McGee!" Abby scolded.
"What?" Abby dragged him away scolding him about ruining the mysterious lure of the great ship. Jenny laughed softly as Abby's tone was heard from around the corner.
"Case closed," Gibbs said.
"So it is."
"So my team..."
"Can have the day off," she finished. She started to walk down the hall but he caught her arm gently.
"And you?" She sighed, she would like nothing more than to go home and pick up where they'd left up but she knew she couldn't. Not for another hour at least, and then...hm...she glanced at him briefly to find him with guarded hope.
"I have to work for a little while longer and then I can go home."
"Well I'll go find some paperwork and..."
"Actually Jethro, I have an idea for you," she tried an idea forming in her mind. She beckoned him closer, he stepped far into her personal space, her hands falling to his hips. "Why don't you go back to my house, and watch a movie," she suggested.
"There a movie in mind?"
"Hm...well you could watch Titanic, grant it not the best movie ever, or the most accurate, but it should keep you occupied till I get done."
"Or I could read a book."
"Watch the movie, please?" She smiled innocently at him.
"Okay, but if you tell DiNozzo."
"The very idea Jethro," she teased. "Now go, so I can go do work." He brushed his hand against hers in place of a kiss. She nodded and watched him leave, smiling. Do work, go home, sounds good, she moved back to her office and focused on her work with a vigor.
---
Gibbs had done what she suggested, throwing the movie in the DVD player and watching it on the TV. He had thought it would be a chick flick but there was something about the darkness fading to the bow of the greatest ship that had once sailed the seas. Sure the beginning was a bit corny and he smelled a love story, but he had decided Jenny had a purpose in this. He listened to the old lady begin her story, flipping through the book on Titanic that he'd found on the bookshelf.
"It was called the ship of dreams, and it was, it really was."
He listened and watched as the scene transformed. He watched the movie as the blonde hero entered and he watched the movie develop. He heard the front door open about an hour in and hit pause going to meet her. She came in looking haggard, but it faded as she spotted him.
"Hi," he said greeting her with a gentle kiss to her cheek.
"Hi, SecNav wanted me to personally assure the Curator of the Museum so they wouldn't hate the NAVY."
"I'm sure you won them all over."
"One can hope," Jenny sighed leaning into him temporarily. "Right so I'm going upstairs, why don't you finish the movie?"
"Or I could come with you," he bargained.
"Jethro, I'll call you up all right, now stay," she ordered.
"Fine, fine. Made dinner," he called after her.
"You're not going to want dinner," she muttered as she walked up the stairs. She rummaged through her jewelry box finding the pendant he had bought her many years ago in France. She hadn't worn it since, but she had never been able to get rid of it either. She placed it around her neck carefully and got rid of the jeans and other clothes. She picked up her cell phone and hit speed dial one.
"Gibbs?"
"You planning on coming up here anytime soon?" She inquired.
"You told me to watch the movie."
"Changed my mind," she said sweetly. She heard him move. "And Jethro shut off your phone."
"Breaking Rule 3?"
"We're already breaking more than that," she reminded. "Mine's going off to." She hung up and turned off her phone. She threw it in the nightstand drawer and lay back on the bed. She smirked as she heard the doorknob turn. She heard his breath catch and withheld the smirk. Mission accomplished.
"Jen..." his voice was deep and almost questioning, but she could feel his eyes tracing over her form.
"You going to stand there?" She questioned. She kept her eyes focused on his as he walked rather quickly to the bed and kneeled on the bed watching her. "Jethro..." He gulped.
"Jenny." She reached up placing her arms around his neck pulling him down to her.
"Jethro..." she placed a gently kiss to his lips. "Love me in this and only this," she whispered in his ear. He traced the necklace lying at her throat.
"This and only this?"
"This and only this.
END
History Lesson For April:
On April 10, 1912, the RMS Titanic set sail on its maiden voyage. At the time it was the largest ship in the world and the pride of the White Star Ocean Liner Company. The ship was considered to be unsinkable having had been designed with special rivets that should protect the holds from being flooded, along with the added feature that if any three or four holds filled, the ship would not sink. It was to be the event of a lifetime and turned into one of the world's largest seagoing disasters. On April 14th Titanic found herself among icebergs, sometime around midnight the ship struck an iceberg but there was no immediate fear, based on the fact that the ship was to be unsinkable. Captain Smith, ordered the crew to wake the passengers and get them in the boats and for the communications to call for help. Smith was aware of the one major flaw; the Titanic did not have enough lifeboats for all its passengers. The famous women and children first was enforced although some wealthy men bribed their way onto the lifeboats. Third class passengers were gated and trapped and most of them perished. The communications officers sent the very first SOS signal, a few ships answered including one of the sister ships the Olympic and the Carpathia another ocean liner. Both ships were to far away to save all the lives onboard though there was rumor of a third ship close enough that they would have been able to hear and see the Titanic in distress, if said ship was there, she never responded. On April 15th at about 2:22am the Titanic slipped into the Atlantic and sank separating into two parts.
Although her final position was recorded it was not until September 1st, 1985, when a crew lead by Dr. Robert Ballard discovered her final resting spot. Attempts to raise her have been unsuccessful and the final documents are trying to be taken as the Titanic is slowly but surely being destroyed under the pressure and bacteria in the water. The Titanic was more than just the ship of dreams; it was a reminder, a lesson, and now a memorial.
Among those lost were Isidor Straus and his wife Ida, the founders of Macy's, Mrs. Straus was given the opportunity to get on the lifeboat but when informed her husband could not join her she was heard to say that she had spent fifty years married to this man, she wasn't going to die without him. They returned to their room and went down with the ship. Also going down with the ship was Captain Smith, many say it was the guilt that he felt, but he was an honorable man. Also the band of Titanic went down, playing till the very last possible minute.
The myth of the story comes from the myth of Princess of Amen-Ra, a mummy found in Eqypt at the begining of the 20th century. She was as was mentioned cursed and passed from hand to hand, with the last recorded pass being to an American who placed it onboard a White Star Ocean Liner sailing on its maiden voyage on April 10th, 1912. The truth is of course debated but its just many of the numerous mysteries about the great ship.
I hope you all enjoyed the April History Lesson, stay tuned for May, which I can assure you, you will lose your head over.