Chapter Text
Two teenage boys were in the woods near a highway motel early in the morning about 3:00 a.m.
"Come on, Josh, don't be a chicken! Cock-a-doodle-doo!" The first boy turned around, shining his flashlight in the other kid's face.
"Alex, would you shut up! This is so stupid!"
"You quit being such a baby! It's fine, just a little wet!" Alex said as he started to cross a small creek that flowed underneath the bridge.
"Okay... but if I die I am 100% coming back to haunt you!" Josh remarked.
"Duh you better! That would be so cool to have a ghost as a best friend....Oh crap!"
Josh walked to check on Alex. "Hey you okay?"
"Yeah I just tripped on a rock or something."
"That's not a rock...it's a...."
"BODY!!!" Both boys said together.
They scrambled back to the road and they ran back to the car. Once inside the car Josh locked all the doors.
"What are we gonna do!?"
"Don't look at me! I'm not the one who found it"
"I didn't find it! I FELL ON IT! Here you call the cops!" Alex throws his phone at Josh.
FIVE HOURS LATER AT NCIS:
Gibbs walked past the bullpen, holding two coffee cups from his favorite dinner.
"Where is he going?" McGee asked.
"Look-behind-you." Bishop said in a singsong voice.
McGee looks up to see Gibbs standing by the railing talking to Jack. "Oh that makes sense."
"Yes it does." Nick says walking into the bullpen.
"Good morning Nick."
"Good is not the word I'd use." Nick sat at his desk.
"Really? What happened?" McGee asked.
WITH JACK AND GIBBS:
"Good morning." Gibbs hands Jack a cup. "Hope you don't mind I got you pumpkin spice."
"Oh yum!" Jack took a sip. "I don't mind at all. I love fall, the weather, the smells and of course pumpkin spice everything. How about you?" Jack smiled.
"I don't know, people get weird around Halloween, as Tony would say, ``Well boss October is the weirdest month, all the crazy people are out doing crazy things." Gibbs leaned over the railing looking down after doing his best impression of Tony.
"I guess that's true but you have to admit the leaves are beautiful this time of year and walking through the park on a chili day can be romantic."
"Are you giving me a hint?" Gibbs smiled.
"I don't know what you're talking about? But if you are suggesting that we should go for a walk in the park, how could I resist?" Jack took another sip.
Gibbs was about to say something when McGee called out. "Boss we got a case!"
"Comin’!" Gibbs answered. "Bye Jack."
"See ya later, Cowboy." Jack smiled.
Gibbs walked down the stairs to the bullpen. "Okay McGee, what do we got?"
"Well a couple of kids found a body and called the local police, they checked her fingerprints, she was a petty officer so they called us."
"Okay grab your gear."
Gibbs, Torres, Bishop and McGee walked to the elevator.
IN BISHOP AND TORRES' CAR:
"Come on Nick, just tell me why you don't like Halloween!"
Nick put on his sunglasses as he turned the car. "Okay first off it's not that I don't like it, I hate it and second if you tell Tim or anyone else I'll deny it."
"Would you just tell me!"
"All right chill. October has never really been my month, every year the worst stuff happens to me. Like today a couple of punks toilet papered my car! Who does that, like toilet papering a tree who hasn't, but my freakin car?!"
"Come on Nick, that was just today-"
Nick cut Bishop off. "Nope this kind of stuff happens every year around Halloween ever since me and some of my friends snuck into this haunted house."
"Really Nick, that's why you don't like Halloween? Because you and a couple of buddies snuck into a haunted house."
"See you don't get it. It wasn't fake, it was really haunted. I saw the ghost and everything! It said we trespassed and we were all cursed!"
"I get you're superstitious but this is ridiculous."
"I am not! Anyway it doesn't matter, we're here now." Nick stops the car by the police road barricade.
AT THE CRIME SCENE:
Gibbs and McGee get out of the car and walk to the sheriff.
"Howdy, you must be from Ncis."
"Yep." Gibbs answered. "Where's the body?"
"Right this way, agent?"
"Gibbs."
"Well agent Gibbs to be honest I'm kind of glad it's on yours."
"Why's that sheriff?" McGee asked.
"Because the local oddballs keep me and Deputy Griffith pretty busy this time of year."
"Is he the guy directing the traffic up there?" Bishop asks as she and Nick walk down off the road.
"Yeah that's him. Nice meeting y'all but I need to check on him. If you need any help let me know." The Sheriff starts walking back up the road.
*WHISTLE*
"Barney! Cut that out! It's just Otis!"
"But Andy!"
"Bishop, you and Torres check out the motel, McGee, start taking photos. I'm gonna talk to the boys who found her." Gibbs walked up to the road.
"On it boss." McGee took out the camera and got to work.
"Hey Tim, you wouldn't for any reason wanna switch would ya?"
"Why?" McGee asked.
"Ye..ah Nick why?" Bishop asked, mischievously smiling.
"Never mind, come on Bishop let's go!" Nick starts walking to the old motel.
"What's with him?"
"I would tell you but then he'd kill me."
"Bishop! Are you coming?" Nick shouts.
"Yes!" Bishop said as she ran up to Nick.
They walk in the old parking lot to the manager building. Bishop says, pointing to the flickering neon sign. "Hey no vacancies, someone had to have something."
"Great." Nick opens the door for Bishop, the small bell on the corner of the door rings as it opens.
"Well no one's here let's go tell Gibbs..."
"Hi I'm Noah." A friendly young man walked to the desk from the back room. "Can I help you? And before you ask, yes we do have rooms, the sign's just broke. I've been meaning to fix it but I'm just not a.."
"Nick interrupted inpatiently. "We're not here for a room! We are here to ask you some questions about the murder."
"Oh yeah that's horrible! Do you know who died?"
"A navy petty officer." Bishop said.
"Oh really ? Yesterday we had a petty officer get a room, I haven't seen her since she checked in."
"Can we see her room?" Bishop asked.
"Well... come with me, I'll see if she's there if she's not then, yes." Noah grabbed the spare key from behind the desk then walked outside with Torres and Bishop following him. "Here we are room 13."
Why room 13?" Nick asked.
"Why not? It's just a number." Noah looked back at Nick before knocking on the door. "Hey Mary? Are you there?" The door slowly opened as Noah knocked.
"Huh she's not here." Bishop walked in the room.
"I'll call Gibbs, from outside." Nick walked back to the lobby.
"If you want I can check and see if Mary's car is still in the parking lot."
"Yeah that would help Noah." Bishop says, looking around the room.