“Do you have the technology to enlarge rooms?”

“Yes. Let me guess, they really want them moved?” Director Vance nods. “Let me contact the embassy.”

“FIVE Warehouses? Five? Christ.” Kasie moans.

“Yes. Director Vance asked me if I had the technology to enlarge rooms. Once he gets the dimensions for the warehouses we'll add onto the rooms.”

A week later Kasie yelps as she feels something.

“That's the rooms above us being enlarged.” Ducky says absently. “It will take a week to finish.”

“That feels weird.” She murmurs.

“Yes.”

“Try it 24/7 as you're trying to sleep.” Amidala sighs. “We added more floors to the hotel and will no doubt be adding more in the future.”

A week after that the trucks start arriving in the garage, the elevator being filled with boxes that go down the hallway to the rooms. In her office Amidala continues to work. A bank draft had been handed to her for her work by the SECNAV and she shakes her head. “Trust me, they're saving money on not dealing with the warehouses anymore.”

“What happened to the warehouse that was all in?” She waves a hand at the hallway.

“The fool blubbered he didn't realize the leaks had been happening for so long. Nobody believes him.” Director Vance snorts. “He's whimpering he's out all that money from the government, his insurance dropped him, and he can't get anybody to rent from him. . .now.” Amidala snorts and rolls her eyes. “Indeed.”

The bank manager had whimpered at the size of the bank draft. That had been deposited into a cd and her usual check had been deposited before heading back to the hotel since Director Vance had given her the rest of the week off so they could move the boxes without bothering her.

The next week she shakes her head as she walks down the empty hallway and hangs up her jacket on the coat rack in her office. The door opens behind her and Ducky shakes a finger in her direction. “Those files. . .”

“I told you I had limited the others to an hour every eight for a reason.” Amidala snorts. “And trust me, I was limiting myself to the same one hour out of eight otherwise I'd never get anything done. Unless I was on the ship enlarging it. Or surveying the other dimension” Ducky nods in agreement. “Is everything finished at the hotel?”

“The additional floors yes. Filling them will take a while but we have that time. Right now we're working on expanding the replicator building.”

“Do you have the boxes?”

“We can make them, I don't have the need for them right now unless we're getting in massive amounts of supplies that need special storage or we don't have the room for right now. It would solve transportation problems but the world isn't ready for them yet.” Ducky sighs but nods. “Metals?”

“Not for another month.” He nods in satisfaction. “I will have a request for you, I'm looking into expanding my home.” She nods. “Should I get some to have on hand for Jimmy? And maybe Gibbs and McGee?” Ducky sighs but nods. “The first of many times I believe as we work on our homes. Now, I understand you're starting a new business on the embassy grounds?”

“Yes, carpet cleaning like those videos you see on youtube. We're already getting in loads of interest and rugs being sent out. Especially after that water main break.”

“And many natural disasters.”

“Yes, especially when the ships will be sent out to deal with all the debris. If we can salvage part of it, it's something a family hasn't lost on possibly the worst day of their lives.” Ducky nods.

“Now my dear, not to be nosy. And yes, this is none of my business.”

“Yes, Kasie, Jimmy, and Tim are paying extra every month to pay down their loans as fast as possible. All this talk about power outages and storms is making Kasie look at a home instead of an apartment so she can have a generator to run everything in an emergency. And a place to put extra food besides totes piled in various corners. They go out to the recycling centers weekends when the weather is good for extra money both to pay the loans off and in Kasie's case start a fund for the downpayment, closing costs, moving expenses, and furniture. Director Vance asked the same thing and I told him everything is on track with the loans.” He nods in satisfaction.

“I'm surprised they put the boxes from the hallway in a room, as bad as they smell I thought they'd want them left out so they don't affect the others.”

“They had a special group out there looking at the boxes and drying them when they found one that was damp and/or smelled.”

Pulling on her big girl pants she opens the door of the room off her office and starts bringing out boxes after Ducky goes down to the morgue. Turning on the computer she starts to work. Looking around the room she's reminded of her first day, or would except for the extras in her office. And the fact that when she empties a room, it shouldn't be refilled unless the government finds more files.

“Always a possibility.” Ducky says at morning break. “Look at how many files they've found so far. I'm ashamed that so many were found nobody had realized were missing.”

“Out of sight, out of mind. Yeah, we knew they existed but it wasn't our problem.” Kasie says dryly. The others nod. “Now they're seeing just how much shit got pushed aside that could have been dealt with years ago. And it's not just us. Everybody's in the same boat.”

“That's one of the reasons the agency is looking at putting everything on servers more than once a decade now.” McGee says. The others look at him. “Hell, our unit sometimes had three open cases at once.” Ducky sighs but nods “They add up, especially since we have so many teams here working on different areas. We've got two floors of file cabinets, a lot of smaller units don't have the room. They do it yearly or even twice a year if they run out of room. That's why that case was such a problem, we had no way of knowing what was theft, what was normal use, and what had been marked as destroyed because the records weren't kept.”

“We're damn lucky it's only once a decade, I know it takes a good two to three years to scan everything onto the server.” Kasie says. Everybody looks at her. “I got called about an old case of Dr. Scuito's and had to go up to secretarial. Everybody was busy scanning documents so I had to find the file myself. The prosecutor apologized for getting me involved, while she might have been a bitch she did back up all her work and the appeal because the lab personnel had been arrested was thrown out of court.”

The others shake their heads. “I'm sure there was a helluva lot more of that happening with David's cases.”

The others nod.

Maleficent is at the Embassy when she returns home. “Something or other at court, our fathers have the 'I am seriously annoyed' look on their faces.” Amidala sighs. “So I came out to see how everything was going on getting in your supplies for the metals dimension. I might be going out later than we expected.”

“Not a problem, Donald and I were talking about getting in extras for him, Jimmy, Gibbs, and McGee since they have their own homes. Kasie is putting together money for a down payment when she finds something she likes so she has a fund for all the expenses including furniture.” Mel sighs in relief. “So I was going to be adding a week or so worth of extra supplies to my ship before I went out anyway.”

“How much bigger are the rooms at NCIS now?”

“About fifteen times larger than they were. We were dealing with eight warehouses of files that were found this year plus whatever had been waiting to be brought out in the others beyond the one that was leaking.”

“Jesus.” Maleficent moans.

“Out of sight, out of mind. It's just bad luck everything is being found now. Not that I should complain, once a room is empty now it shouldn't be refilled unless they find more files so I'm actually seeing progress. Even if it's only a few boxes at a time.”

“Okay, while you're here. I've been working on plans for the second dimension for growing areas with the thought of selling the food. Both commercially and places like farm markets.” they go up to Amidala's room and go over the plans.

Her mother and aunt are waiting for her when Mel pokes her head around the portal to Danbury Estates. “Is it safe to come out? Dad and Uncle Aaron had the 'I'm annoyed' look.”

“Yes, the fool walked off sulking when he realized he wasn't getting anywhere. Is there any problems going late?”

“No, Amidala is looking at picking up extra for Donald and his friends who have homes of their own.” The twins sigh in relief. They know their daughters are safe but hate them going out alone. “So she was planning on going out later anyway. We were looking over plans for growing areas in the second dimension with the thought of selling, either commercially or at farm markets.”

“Money coming in to be used for supplies or other expenses for when people move out there.”

“That was my thought and growing there will give us the experience needed if the other countries get off their butts and make serious plans for a colony. If they're serious about it, we can pass along the information from the planet that had the multiple colonies that left due to the war.”

“That's the type of colony that would be happening now and in the foreseeable future and seeing that might force some of the whiners to realize it's not all glitz and glamour, it's a lot of hard work.”

“Which is what most people are looking for when they talk about colonies. Because they see the fantasies, not the reality. They're looking at being the Lord Holders of Pern or Lord Granville on Downton Abbey instead of being a drudge or a downstairs maid.”

The twins snicker but nod. “Oh shit, fish.” Her mother looks as her as she leans through the portal to the Embassy “Monica, tell Amidala we'll need to think about a fish farm. I'm not sure about seeding open water right away, we need to see if the water can support it and if there's native species first.”

Monica sighs but nods. “We should think about one here as well.”

“Depending on how long it takes to sell, it will be another source of revenue for the dimensions.” Amidala sighs when that message is passed along.”And if we work on one here first, we have all the bugs worked out before we move.”

Nods from the others.

“Something to think about here too when we move.” Hector sighs later that night.

At NCIS the next day, Amidala points a fork of salad at Ducky. “Fire suppression units.”

“Yes, especially since you hear so many horror stories about fires started by space heaters. Beyond fire extinguishers, let alone the different types of fires.”

“Foam sprinklers is becoming more popular in areas where water sprinklers would cause damage, like computers or other equipment.” McGee says. “If they're actually serviced regularly.”

“Another thing your old building didn't do?” Tony asks. McGee sighs and nods. “Before my time, another building the owners had burned to the ground because the fire system hadn't been serviced in years. They got into a lot of trouble for that. Luckily there were no deaths because nobody would live in the hellhole.”

“Your hotel?”

“Foam sprinklers that were installed as part of the purchase and inspected every six months.” He nods in satisfaction.

“I'm surprised we haven't heard horror stories on the news about accidents where the systems didn't go off for one reason or another.” Kasie sighs.

“That's something they don't want people talking about.” McGee snorts. “Either natural or man-made disasters.”

“Toothpaste.” Gibbs says suddenly. Everybody looks at him. “It is nearly impossible to get all the toothpaste out of a tube by hand.”

“Yes, and then you have the tube itself to throw away. Not a hardship with a replicator but still. . .there should be a different form of packaging.”

“There are those chewable tablets that come in tins or jars that can be reused.” Tony says. “Now given they're not the name brand ones.”

“Yes, they're more of a niche market. Same with the refills of liquid soap in bags and not bottles. But then, you can recycle the bottles.”

The others nod. “Soap dispensers use bags.”

“They're meant for multiple people using them daily. Or like here where you need your hands free. Most smaller bottles show up horribly under blacklight.” The others nod. Ducky looks at Amidala. “Small bottle since it's a private restroom.”

“Yes, a soap dispenser would be overkill for you. I don't doubt a small bottle lasts you forever.”

Amidala makes a note on the small notebook she takes with her everywhere. “Something to think about since we don't have soapsand.” McGee chuckles. Gibbs looks at them. “Dragonriders of Pern series, it's used as soap since trees to burn for lye are in very short supply there. Some people think it's borax left over when water evaporates since it's found near water,” She makes another note to find that book about no lye soap Josette had said was on the hard drives for future use. They'd need both soap for people, soap for animals, and soap for clothes.

“Have you started planting yet?”

“Yes, the domes are offsetting the still cool weather. We planted the fields will start the gardens in another month or so. Again, we're planting extra so if you got any special requests let me know. I don't doubt we'll see a shortage this year locally since the winter dragged on so long.”

“Yes.” Ducky sighs. “Most commercial growers in our area would have planted by now. I know they should have insurance to cover bad years but that's going to make things frightfully expensive as they ship from other regions. If they can.” The others nod.

“Oh Monica. . ..here.” Amidala says as she walks into the hotel after getting off work. She gets on the server and sends her a file. “It's a book on making soap without lye. Yes, they were using the book to make various soaps when I was brought out to the other dimension.” Monica looks at her then the file, makes a squee sound that is nearly inaudible to human ears and opens the file.

“I didn't think you'd got to that section of the files yet.” Amidala chuckles as she heads upstairs. She stops on the first step and looks back towards the windows, walking over that way and scowling at the sky.

“Has anybody heard anything on the news about a storm? I truly do not like the look of that cloud.” The hotel door opens and those who had been outside come running in. “Quick, hit the shields.” The shields go up and everybody stares at the window. The cloud is moving too quickly to be normal and bounces against the shield, being held in place as Monica calls in military groups both from Danbury Estates and the local military base.

“Hear you had some excitement last night?” Director Vance says when she walks in yawning.

“Some damn fools trying to spy on us because we got something to work they wanted.” She yawns again. “They were drug off sobbing that they didn't know trying to spy on an Embassy was Treason.”

“Oh Bullshit.”

“Exactly. Fake dark cloud covering in an otherwise clear sky, moving faster than normal. Yeah, they weren't trying to hide. I have no idea what they wanted but Uncle Hector is icily ripping strips off them, their boss, and as far up the chair of command as the President for this nonsense.” Her phone rings and she answers it since its the Embassy. Everybody around her stops what they're doing. “Hello? Oh you're fucking kidding me? The goddamn recycling? They thought the goddamn recycling was fake?” Swearing from around her. “So what do they claim it really was? Oh, they're trying to say different things. Drugs, guns, money laundering, organ theft, sex trafficing?” More swearing from around her. “Oh bullshit, recycling drop off centers do not make money from the recycling they get, the counties pay for their upkeep.” Nods from everybody in earshot. “The reason we make money off it is people are paying it to take if off their hands and we turn it into new materials to sell. Most drop off centers are overwhelmed with the recycling they get and I fully expect a 'help' call this year.”

“Frantically trying to find an excuse for what they did?”

“Yes, one was blubbering his brother-in-law could do the same thing we do.”

“Bullshit.” the head of security says. He's the one making the trip out to the embassy with the files. So he'd know. “I hate taking in my recycling. Because my local drop off never does a damn thing with it. I see trailers full of stuff that's been there forever.”

“Yeah, we dropped off giant blocks of metals from all the cans and metal we picked up at the drop offs last time.”

“Thank god we don't have to deal with that here. One good thing about not having a cafeteria.” Director Vance sighs. He looks at Amidala. “Yes, we accept clean metal from those agencies who have cafeterias. Including ammunition. Bring it out with the paper.”

“Thank you my dear, not many places do.”

A couple days later a truck arrives. Inside the truck along with the paper quickly being bucket brigaded into the replicator is three barrels that are emptied by a hand unit. The man who'd come with him whistles despite himself as the head of security grins. “Thank Amidala for us for taking care of this for us. So many places don't like the idea of recycling bullets.”

“Once it's all in a block, nobody will know or care where it came from.” Pieter shrugs. “Our country has been recycling it for years.”

“Do you have a buyer for the metal?”

“Yes.”

Monica pokes her head into the building. “Glass?”

“We have plenty on the crystals. Do we have more coming? Or have an order?”

“We are good to go on selling the ink for crafters since the middleman we used is out of business. The ads are online, the website is up, and will be in the crafting magazines next month.”

“Ehhh, we can do the jar, the ink, and the packaging all at once.” Pieter says. Monica nods. “Have they finally settled on an argument for why they were spying on us?”

“No, the list of fabricated reasons just becomes longer and longer. One of them tried claiming we were running around naked and the judge just gave them a disgusted look.”

“In this weather?” The head of security snorts. “Not that it's any damn business of theirs.”

“Yes, their own lawyer threw up their hands and told them to shut the fuck up, grow up, and just admit they're stupid selfish twits.”

“Never.gonna.happen.” The second man says, rolling his eyes.

“Where is Amidala?”

“In Danbury Estates going over the last minute details to bring the building of instruments out to the other dimension in a couple weeks. They're still arguing back and forth about how often to send out the databursts.” Monica rolls her eyes. “For supposedly grown scientists, they're acting like two year olds.”

“That's a good portion of humanity.” The head of security says as they get in the trucks to head off. They'd brought out a second truck to handle the used ammunition.

“Jesus fucking Christ, you are goddamn kidding me.” Amidala moans on the phone the next morning. Everybody looks at her since she's at breakfast. “The morons are now claiming we stole the land from them for the embassy, or trying to anyway but they didn't know I owned it for the five years before it became the embassy since Uncle Hector wanted a place here to handle the recycling.”

Facepalming and swearing from the others.

“Uhhh, no. Not believing that or any other bullshit story you're claiming now.” The judge says in disgust. “I'm remanding you to Danbury Estates for trial and they have the death penalty for espionage gentlemen. The firing squad.” One of the men screams as another one faints.

“At least with them under a 'hunger strike' he didn't piss himself.” The bailiff sighs as they drag him back to his cell. He looks at the judge, who also happens to be his kid brother. “Are you serious about sending them off?”

“No, but they don't know that.” He smirks. “But the threat of it should get the truth out of them to save their damn hides.”

“That was evil. Mom would approve. Do they have the death penalty?”

“Yes, and yes it is by firing squad. But it's generally only dealing with crimes against the ruling family. Which the Ambassador technically is, her mother is the Duchess's identical twin sister and her father is the Duke's senior guard. They two families basically raised all the kids together.”

“Uncle and Aunt even if they weren't related?”

“Exactly.”

“Sucks to be them, then.”

“Indeed. Did they ever find out where the machine was from? None of them are smart enough to have created it.”

“Nobody that will admit to anything. Not after this.”

“No, no they won't. Not with these twits facing Treason charges.”

Amidala returns to the Embassy after going to the metal dimensions, putting aside some of the metal in a room for the others. Yawning she looks out the window and wanders downstairs. A table is pointedly looked at. “Lady Maleficent?”

“Taking a nap since the idiots at court had been annoying her.”

“You are joking?” Monica says from the doorway. “Please tell me you're joking.” She ends the call.. “Turn the television on to CNN, the fools who tried spying on us have another excuse for why they were here. They didn't like the idea we grow our own food.” the others facepalm and the news media is full of them being called damn fools.

“How the hell did they know we grow our own food? They live three states away.”

“They saw we had a lot of land and went on the attack.”

“It's too early in the year for anything to be growing.”

“Yes, they just assumed we were growing food and steal profits from big business. They saw all the boxes being carried in and sure they were going to be full of cans coming out.”

“Farms don't process their own food.”

“Yes, they can't explain that. Not with buying crops from commercial farms themselves.”

“Think this is the real truth?”

“Not a chance, you don't have that technology canning food.” Amidala snorts. “We had stuff coming in and not going out, this is just another excuse.”

“Gentlemen, do I look stupid?” The judge asks dryly. “No, I don't believe this cock and bull story any better than I did any of the others. Now I want the truth so I can try to talk to the Danbury Estates militia from coming in and everybody finding you 'escaped'. We might find bodies that would have to be identified by DNA.”

“I'll tell you and I got the proof to back up my story. Luthor. Luthor hired us to deal with the Embassy. He wanted us to kill the people there and fake an attack on the US to give him a reason to attack the country because the reveal of the space program is making him look bad.”

“You have proof of this?” The judge asks. Now this might actually be the truth.

“Yes, in multiple places as insurance. Luthor was supposed to take care of my family if we were arrested, I just found out last night he didn't.”

A ranting, raving, screaming that he's the best in the world Luthor is drug out of his office and thrown in the deepest hole after a quick trial. The psychiatrists who had observed him are split between he had a mental break and he'd been hiding his true persona for years. He's given enough food and supplies for two weeks at a time dropped into the space between two airlocks that are only under the control of a person on the surface. There are no electronics but one screen that airs nothing but kids programming including Barney on a loop. He looks at the airlock but knows if he doesn't bring them in in a timely manner the door will shut and he'll be without for another two weeks. His garbage is carefully bagged up and put in the airlock before the beeping has him step over to the other side of the cell and the door locks. He's ranted and raved for hours when he first was placed in this cell until he realized how much earth was around him that could crush him at any second and nobody would miss him.

The financial experts are going over the Luthor holdings Danbury Estates was awarded in the trial, double checking to make sure there is nothing illegal and making sure the employees don't lose their jobs. Wayne and Dayton help them and business is more profitable than ever.

“You're not interested in what's happening?” McGee asks at lunch a couple days after the court case was finished.

“Not my strong suit, let the financial experts handle everything. I wasn't the specific target, Luthor had no way of knowing who is there, he just wanted to attack anything to do with Danbury Estates because he thought we had made fools of him.”

“When you don't know him from Adam.”

“Exactly. He's such an egomaniac he thought every new discovery in the world should come from him. Certainly not from a small country most of the world had never heard of before news about the space program was released and people started to realize just how many items they use in everyday life came from that country.” Ducky looks at her with one raised eyebrow. “You mean just how many items people use in everyday life came from just two people, yourself and Maleficent.”

Amidala shrugs. “Not bad for a glorified file clerk.”

“My dear, you are anything but a glorified file clerk.” Ducky says reprovingly.

“Not according to some toady in a government office. Moron thought he was so much better than me because I was covering the replicator. He turned white as a sheet when his coworker called me Ambassador Amderson. Because some people think they're too special to do the work of others.”

“Yes, unfortunately some are only in it for the power.” Ducky sighs. “They are miserable inside and out. Our previous Director was just such a personality. She was only in it for the power."

“And to get back in Gibbs pants.” Tony smirks. He automatically ducks the half-hearted swat aimed his direction. “It's the truth.” He says at his look.

“True, but still rude.”

“Okay, how was Luthor able to track down people in an otherwise secret government agency that were crooks to do his bidding?”

“It's common knowledge that there are people only looking for a quick buck in every agency.” Gibbs sighs. “We try to weed them out but unless they do something absolutely stupid like Sacks it's hard to get rid of them. People know who they are and money talks.” Tony continues. “They were only a tiny part of that agency so they're not that big a loss for them. But this was the incentive needed to start investigating people and either firing them or putting them under so many rules and regulations they won't ever be able to cause problems. Because they're insulted at not being treated like they think they deserve and quit.”

“Problem is, they are being treated like they deserve. And they're horrified by it.” Jimmy snorts. “I went through this recently with an old bat who lives in the neighborhood wanting to put through a HOA so the 'wrong' people didn't sully her neighborhood.”

“In other words, people she didn't approve of?” Amidala drawls. “Always going to be that type of maladjusted personality.”

“Are you going to keep the financial people on at the Embassy?” Jimmy asks.

“Not a chance, the fools are good at their work but miserable to be around. They had a fit about how things are run until they realized how much money is coming in from the recycling coming in and being sold, the business with delivering orders. . .and now the rug cleaning. They did not like the loans being paid extra on, it wasn't proper. Went whinging to Daddy, err Uncle Hector who told them to grow up. Demanded to know how much money I was losing from this job and were stunned to see checks coming into the account biweekly with nothing coming out. They were so sure they could get me replaced as Ambassador and were stunned to learn I own the hotel outright.”

“Sounds about right.” McGee snorts. “I got backlash from some of the old biddies in the neighborhood about how could I afford to pay cash for the house until they realized I work for the government, even if it is an agency nobody ever heard of before.”

“Always going to be fools out to cause problems.” Ducky says calmly. “Jethro and I are of the age where everybody knows we paid off our homes years ago.”

“I. . .umm, I might have found a place.” Kasie tells Amidala in the hallway.

“Come out to the hotel this weekend with the paperwork and we'll go over everything. This way you have the money in your account before you deal with the realtor. We did the same thing with Tim's house.”

“And get out if you can't mind your own fucking business and quit sticking your nose in everybody else's. I don't particularly care if you don't like it, it's none of your damn concern.” Amidala says icily. “You were here for one job in particular. The need for you to do it here is long over. Pack your bags and go home. I neither need or want you here. Neither does anybody else.” They look around for support and find disgusted looks on everybody's faces and pack up their belongings under the gaze of security and walk through the portal. “And keep them here, the damn fools were having shit fits about it wasn't proper that Amidala was talking over a loan for Ms. Hines a house. It wasn't proper that we were only charging interest on the principal once and all the money being paid was going on the loan itself and not oodles and gobs of interest monthly.”

“How are they coming along on their loans?”

“Good, they're all paying extra monthly and even with the first loan Ms. Hines is making plans to pay as much as she can. She's not the type to go for more than she can afford.”

“Remind me, what was her loan for?”

“To pay off her student loans. She was working at the dropoff centers weekends sorting the recycling to have extra money for that and to put money aside for work seminars since at the time Director Vance didn't realize NCIS wasn't paying for employees to go. It was something the Director before him had got rid of when employees wouldn't kiss her ass.” Hector moans and Aaron sighs as guards drag off the whining fools. “They are now. Jimmy's was to pay off his medical school debt and a new vehicle since his was dying. He could afford one or the other but not both. While Tim's was for a house and new vehicle since his apartment building was going condo and his car was nickling and diming him to death.”

“So they're sulking nobody's kissing their asses by charging outrageous amounts of interest.”

“Indeed, Ms. Hines knows what she can afford to pay a month and is putting money aside for a downpayment, closing costs if there had been a loan, moving expenses, and furniture. I don't doubt that she, like Tim, will purchase a whole home generator since her current building doesn't have one. Neither did his.”

Aaron sighs. “People might look down their noses at our country but we pay for all education and the last time there was a power outage it was because of the experimental city collapse.”

“I'm sorry about that.” Kasie says quietly. “I'm not.” Amidala says briskly. “They were miserable fools who hated the fact they weren't men among men and nobody was going to beg for their help.” Everybody in earshot nods in near unison. “They were sulking because our own finance guy has all our affairs in order, they were expecting to strut in and take over everything and were told to mind their own business.”

“And they couldn't have that?” Kasie smirks.

“Oh no, not at all.” Said finance guy drawls. “Okay, now let me look. . .huh, I wouldn't have expected you to go for this size of a property..”

“It's got room for the future.” she looks at Amidala who neds. “Yes, you're on the short list to come with us to the dimension, we've got the technology to link buildings here and there since I don't doubt I'll still be working at NCIS when we're out there. So is Tim, Jimmy, Tony, Ducky, and possibly Gibbs. It all depends on what his future plans are now that he's settled down. Everybody but Tony now has their own homes. While apartment buildings could come out they'd need work and we don't need that type of building for a while.”

“More of that information?”

“Yes.”

Two weeks later Kasie is well on her way to being a homeowner. Her offer had been accepted and maintenance had gone over the building. They'd helped her with a list of what would need to be done beyond installing a generator and there was talk about going to the metals dimension again for supplies to start a new experimental city for servers.

Amidala finishes a box and looks at the clock before deciding it's good enough. She wouldn't be able to get a good start on it before it was time to leave anyway. Bringing out more boxes for the morning she watches security take the cart of finished boxes off and heads upstairs.

She passes one of the usual drivers for recycling, getting a nod of recognition as they pass. There's a truck stop a couple stops before where she gets off the freeway and the trucks that deliver recycling and refuse usually spend the night there to break up hours and see if there's any local loads going back the way they came.

Thankfully we're close enough to DC that when all this is over the truck stop won't lose too much business she thinks as she reaches the gates a few minutes later. “They're late getting back.” she says as they open.

“They were late arriving, something or other at the agency causing a delay.”

“Sounds about right.” The gates close behind her and she drives to her usual parking spot. The cooler is taken off to be taken care of and she heads upstairs to change her clothes. Looking at her hamper she shakes her head and heads down to the laundry floor after stripping her bed and tossing the towels and washcloths from the bathroom on top.

“Is it quiet at NCIS?”

“Yes, and I keep expecting the damn shoe to drop.” Amidala finishes pre-treating her laundry and starts it running, leaning against a folding table.

“Okay, do we have a big enough place if we order wood for furniture?” Amidala asks at dinner.

“No, I'd more likely wait and put up a building for that once we're moved.” Somebody says. The others nod. “That way it's suited for our needs there.”

“Okay, do you only build boats?” Amidala asks Gibbs at morning break Tuesday.

“No, I've built furniture as well.” He looks at her quizzically.

“What kind of equipment and space do you need?”

“I make them in my basement. I told the others that I take out a wall when I'm done but it's actually a garage, the door lifts up so I can move everything out. Nobody really notices since I have the lights dimmed down there. And I'm only down there after work.”

“And never lock the damn door.” Tony says in disgust. “Really Boss, do you have a fucking death wish?”

“Maybe.”

Everybody who has worked with his for years turn to stare at him in disbelief. Amidala ducks out of the morgue to allow them to talk. Director Vance is heading that way and she shakes her head. “Not now, they need to talk.”

Director Vance sighs. “Actually I needed to talk to you.” The door opens behind them and Ducky hears Amidala sigh. “If you tell me you found more warehouses of files I will show everybody why my aunt is forever telling me I'm not too big to have my mouth washed out with soap for swearing.”

“No, not yet. While warehouses have been found, none of them have been ours. Yet.”

“So expect two shipments of recycling some days? Or should I say most days? If not every day? If they ever get around to seriously scanning boxes and putting them on servers?”

“Yes.”

“We added onto the building once, we can do it again.” She sighs.

“Are. . .is there a way the rooms can be bigger if needed?”

“Yes, Once the affect is created it's just a matter of size. Each room could easily hold an entire NCIS building's worth of files. That is not a suggestion.” He snickers despite himself. “Can I ask why. . .?”

“It is meant for holding supplies for an emergency and used to hold recycling until there is a ship ready to deliver it.” She sighs. “And I need to see if it will work under less than ideal conditions.” she mutters softly.

“Director Vance says they have found more warehouses of files, thankfully none of ours.” Ducky says, ducking back into the morgue.

“Okay, are all government agencies stupid that so many files are here, there, and everywhere?” Kasie sighs. “And just how damn big is DC that all these warehouses full of files have been sitting around for so long?”

“Storage is everywhere since this is the Nation's Capital, Ms. Hines. Unfortunately as the need to keep more current files in the building happened before the advent of microfilm microfiche, or now being scanned directly onto the server older files were packed up and moved elsewhere.” Director Vance sighs from the doorway. “Thankfully, it wasn't us this time but the facilities in question have been used by multiple agencies so it's a matter of open a box, find out what agency they're from, and move them to another facility until they can be scanned.”

McGee facepalms. “Agencies that worked together?”

“We believe so. Or were in the same building.”

Everybody stops, stares, and mutters rude comments when Amidala returns back home and tells them that more buildings of files were found. Thankfully not any she had to deal with but they'd be getting more recycling arriving in the future.

“We enlarged the building once, we can do it again.” One of the listeners sighs. “I have a couple questions or ideas.” Amidala looks back at him, making a go on gesture.

“The drive-in theater is for sale.”

“Buy it. Yes, it needs a little work but we can do that and have a grand opening next year if need be. And?”

“A movie theater for us?”

“It's not that difficult to bring one out.” Amidala agrees. “Do we want to bring out a second one for others if there is a request?”

“Something to think about.”

Two weeks later the price for the drive-in is accepted an a bank check made out. Maintenance goes through it with some of the employees seeing what will need to be done. “It's not a lot of work but the former owner is getting up in years.”

“I don't see why the work can't be done throughout the week a bit at a time to allow the business to be open on the weekends.” The head of maintenance says looking over everything on the list. “Definitely in time for the fall festival.”

“Please, if you could that would be awesome. Most of our money is from special showings during the festival. This year being so. . .abnormal we weren't able to open on time.”

“Yeah, too cold to have the windows open for the sound system.” Another employee says. “Let alone sitting out to watch movies in the park.”

Amidala slumps into her office chair, waiting for the tea to finish steeping. It had been a long four days off, some whiners in the government had been complaining about having to pay good money to get their recycling taken care of and had gone on the attack, getting his ass kicked up around his shoulders by her as she used the full breadth and depth of her vocabulary of foul language. He'd run screaming from the Embassy proper, only to be greeted by a fist to his face from his soon to be former boss if he gets his way for his abject stupidity.

And it had just gone downhill from there. From fools demanding the land and businesses be turned over to them running off blubbering they didn't know that it was really an Embassy, from fools whining about how they'd stole the drive-in theater from them, running off sobbing that they didn't know they were working on fixing everything up and that none of the employees had lost their jobs. Or that the business was still in operation. Fucking morons had been the nicest thing said about them.

Ducky looks at the sour look on Amidala's face and chuckles. “Morons wanting all your businesses turned over to them?”

“Yes, and some damn fool whining about how we were making money off the recycling. Oh no, it should pile up everywhere like it had been. I got an apology call from his director, after his soon be to former boss cussed him out long and loud in the parking lot of the Embassy. Gods, the world is full of morons who are only in it for themselves.” He pours her a mug of tea and hands over the headache powders, shaking his head in dismay as she immediately dumps two in the mug and downs them in quick succession. He takes the mug and fills it again, this time she sighs and sips it.

He heads down to the morgue and she sighs and grabs the cart, pulling boxes down from the second row and starts to work.

“Really, did they think that property was big enough for the magnificent monument to their fantasy dick sizes?” Amidala asks scathingly on the phone. In the doorway Security and Jimmy are choking back their laughter. She ends the call and they come in, security taking off the cart and Jimmy grabbing the cooler handle.

“Fantasy dick sizes?” he asks.

“We brought a local drive-in theater, it didn't need that much work and we were able to get it done while they were closed early in the week.” Jimmy nods. “The fools are wailing because there's all that empty space around, yeah, but they don't own it and there's nothing out there to fucking bring people to the area but the drive-in theater. They were hoping to swoop in and build fantastic apartment complexes that would sit empty.”

“Ahhh yes, I know that type of mindset well.” Ducky says. “Isn't that why you were able to purchase the buildings and land so cheaply?”

“Yeah, they figured everybody would flock to the hotel because they built it but the problem was nobody came that direction. And that was before they built the bypass for the freeway. They don't even mind that they don't get tax money, the land and buildings aren't sitting there empty as a target for trespassers or vandals, kids looking for a place to get drunk and have sex, or a target for people looking to make a quick buck claiming they got hurt.” The others nod. “Let alone having to find the money to tear down the buildings if they got too bad.”

“But, but, but they lost out on the opportunity to buy the hotel and turn it into condos.” Kasie blubbers. “Which is what my now soon to be former apartment is doing. I don't see it happening there any more than it did at Tim's old place. They don't have the amenities needed to make people buy their units. They broke all those leases expecting people to buy and now they're complaining because people are choosing to leave.”

“Are you in your new place yet?”

“I will be in a month, the last of the work is happening and the new furniture is supposed to be delivered in two weeks. The generator is the last thing going in and that will be about two months after I get settled in.”

“Generator?”

“I got one of those big electrical ones. Propane or natural gas would have been a longer wait. Plus the extra cost of the fuel and tanks in the case of propane. Gas would need ventilation. Trickle down charging wouldn't be that much more on my electric bill.”

Gibbs shakes his head to McGee nods. “I went electrical with a solar panel backup too. For the same reason.” Kasie nods.

Amidala walks into the hotel when she comes back. “Did those fools try suing like they threatened?”

“Oh yes, but every lawyer in the area laughed at them. They walked off sulking it wasn't fair nobody was kissing their asses. Filing the paperwork at the courthouse is too hard. We should have given them the land, not just the drive-in theater but our land too.”

“Morons.”

Amidala looks at Monica. “Do we need a lawyer on staff at the Embassy or . . .”

“Calling for one from Danbury Estates works for now. Anybody who would come out is licensed to practice law internationally.”

“But I didn't know the drive-in theater was so far out of town. Nobody would come out here if we built a mall or apartments.” The man who'd threatened to sue sobs as he looks at the bustling lights of the drive-in theater surrounded by an oasis of empty land.

“No shit, really? What were you expecting? Throngs of adoring fans chanting your name in supplication? Moron. This is a part-time job for everybody, a chance for kids to go out and have some fun on a weekend. Nobody's making a million dollars off it, even during the festival.”

“But I thought it was more than that.” He wails in his home until his youngest grandson tells him to sit down, shut up, and grow up. “Gods, half the apartments around us are empty, same for the houses because young kids grow up and move away or have to commute to DC for jobs. And you want to fucking build an apartment complex because you're a fucking egomaniac?”

“I. . .I never thought about that?” He blubbers.

“You never thought period.” His son says. “Christ, half of the people in town are still working well in their sixties or later because they can't afford to stop. Even with getting social security or pensions the cost of living is still higher then hell. Multiple generations of families have to live together because that's the only way they can keep a roof over their heads and you wanted to build fucking apartment buildings?”

“But I thought that with more housing kids would move out of their parents homes.” He wails. And make more money for me unsaid but clearly heard by everybody.

“The days of kids just out of college being able to afford to live on their own is long gone.” His grandson says. “Between housing costs and paying back student loans. . . Hell, I don't have a student loan and there's no way in Hell I can afford a house on my own.”

Amidala sighs as she relaxes in the lobby of the hotel after helping Pieter with the recycling. They'd added a second unit against the far wall and with two groups dropping them in bucket brigade it goes quicker than you'd expect. Not that anybody is complaining. Oh not at all. Those driving a semi can get back on the road sooner and find a good place at the truck stop for the night.

“Any idea how much longer this will last?”

“Years?” Amidala shrugs. “No idea beyond that since they keep finding more boxes of files everywhere that need to be scanned and put in the servers. Thankfully, not by me.”

“Is it wrong to say I hate seeing the room of boxes?” A member of the secretarial pool says. “Knowing that they're here because the agency was so careless with files that is, not because Ms. Amderson has been working on them for years?”

“The fucking bags half-full of files because of the giant boxes were worse. I didn't think they'd ever end. Not that these are ever going to end, cause except for Ms. Amderson's office her whole floor is nothing but rooms full of boxes.”

“And it's going to be worse when we start scanning old files ourselves because it will both take longer and we'll be using bags again.” Another woman sighs. “At least we won't be scanning old files when we have a few moments free from our regular work like some places like some smaller agencies. Then they wonder why it's not finished in a timely manner.”

“Ummm, because they're too fucking cheap to hire somebody to do it full-time?” Another person says in disgust. Everybody nods in agreement.

Kasie has a housewarming when she finally moves into her new home, the others bringing in small stuff to help flesh out her new home. “Thank you, my old apartment building is empty now and the management company is in deep shit because somebody called in reports that they weren't doing proper maintenance. They've got a list of violations as long as my arm and they're still looking. The biggest one is their sprinkler system was fake and they had somebody fake the reports for years because if anybody from the fire department or an official agency looked at them. . . '

Amidala shakes her head but Tim nods. “Try to get out of it by turning the buildings condo but they'd only own their apartments, any work on the common areas would need to be handled by the board.”

“Not our problem anymore. You can't prove it was us.” Kasie says. Tim nods. “Now they have to make all the repair they didn't want to before and they're sobbing like babies because they actually have to pay out all that money that was coming in and nothing's replacing it since nobody is renting their units and the court slapped them with fines saying those few people who are still there don't have to pay rent until the place is habitable.”

“Wasn't there a story on the news about a building that burned in Michigan because everybody was using space heaters?”

“Minnesota. Again a building where they had lied about the fire equipment and people died. The owners are in prison for life after being convicted. I want to say over a hundred twenty people died.”

“Closer to one hundred and fifty. Whole families were lost because the automatic smoke alarms and sprinklers didn't go off.” The others shake their heads, making notes to make sure they check their smoke alarms and whatnot when they get home.

“I can't believe it's August already. Where has the year gone?” Kasie sighs as Amidala puts the last of the leftovers in the refrigerator and Tim starts the dishwasher.

“The weather was so poor with the long winter hanging on forever, no spring or summer to speak of, and now a cool fall.” Gibbs says as he comes in from where he and Tony had been cleaning the grill he'd built for her as a housewarming gift. He'd also looked over the area where the generator was going and had nodded in satisfaction.

“Did the building ever go out?”

“Last week, I finally rolled my eyes and called for a vote on how often the databursts would be, majority won. This way they can't claim it was a rigged vote.”

“They'd complain about that?”

“People are petty and would complain about anything.” Amidala says, rolling her eyes. Ducky and Jimmy nod. “You should hear the stories at conventions.”

“Please, look at how many people complained about Amidala, how she had to be milking the government for her pay. At least until they realize it's long hours of opening files, typing in numbers, scanning documents, rinse and repeat for days on end. And how many boxes there are of files to go through.” Tony says as he comes in with the grill gear that goes in a separate drawer. “Let alone that fool Sacks.”

“Whatever happened to him?”

“This was the incentive needed to fire his fool ass, the poor baby blubbered he didn't know his fantastic claims weren't real but after so many write-ups for his bs, problems with his coworkers and other agencies, nearly causing a diplomatic incident was the last straw.”

“Yes, Fornell told me he'd been fired. . .finally.” Gibbs says. “No other agency would hire him after this last incident. He said he's a real life Paul Blart now?”

“Paul Blart, Mall Cop. It's a movie, boss. So he's doing private security now.”

“Crossing guard would be a stretch for him.” McGee snorts. “I'm sure he's getting his kicks harassing teenagers. At least until their parents complain about him and he has to find a different job.”

“How are your crops coming along at the Embassy?”

“We didn't take the domes down at all this year, the extra heat made the difference in a good crop and a meh crop.” The others nod.

Ducky nods in satisfaction as he sees the large pantry and list of what Kasie plans on putting in there for the winter since there's already empty spots on store shelves and it will just be worse come winter as many commercial farms weren't able to plant on time,”

“Hey Sandra, you okay?” Kasie asks a couple days later as a clerk from cyber crimes comes in the building with her and Amidala.

“Hi Kasie, just a bad dialysis treatment.” She sighs. “I had to tell my sister the superstar to make sure our parents didn't try to get into her earnings because they consider her the breadwinner, that's why both of them donated a kidney leaving me with dialysis and a place on the donor list. Moron had a fit that they'd never do that to her, they love her. Until her manager told the moron they'd been stopped from wiping her out three separate times. She was stunned. Her own manager called her a goddamn fool and said the only reason they donated the kidneys is they said she hadn't made enough money for them to live on comfortably for the rest of their lives. They needed her healthy to keep working.”

“Your sister is an idiot, she let the part she had on a tv show go to her head. I notice I haven't seen anything of her since she was on Dancing with the Stars.”

“Yep, her role didn't lead her to bigger and better like she and our parents thought. Something they're no doubt wailing about.”

“I think you're lucky.” Kasie says. Sandra gives her a disbelieving look. “Your disease meant you couldn't be a donor. I don't doubt they'd have bullied you into doing it and destroying your own life for her.”

“Yeah. You hear horror stories about savior kids. Both in media and real life.”

“Bad dialysis?” This wasn't her usual timeslot but the office couldn't get her in otherwise because of something or other.

“That and my idiot sister couldn't believe our parents would steal from her, they love her.” she drawls.

“They love her money, not her.”

“Yeah, that's why they wanted her to go right back to work after the transplants. Her own manager told the fool they'd tried to take everything three times already. They're wailing because her part didn't lead her to bigger and better things.”

“She's not a breakout star commanding million dollar paydays.” The office manager snorts. “Are you okay?”

“I will be. The doctors have adjusted my medication again since the office is having to cram patients in different hours to allow them to all get in the dialysis needed until whatever is going on is resolved. I'm lucky, I didn't have to get up in the middle of the night to do it.”

Her phone rings. “Yes, this is she.” she says at her name being asked. “You're fucking kidding me, right?” She continues to listen and ends the call, wishing she had the strength to throw the phone across the wall. “That was the police department trying to apologize for believing the whining of a fool who didn't wike the idea of people being there for hours at a time. He was sure the office was dealing drugs, nobody willingly goes to dialysis.”

“No, you're doing it to save your fucking life.” Another woman snorts. Sandra's phone rings again and she laughs tiredly at whatever is said by the voice on the other end. “Sucks to be her then, I've been in dialysis for years thanks to kidney disease..” She leans back in the chair after the call is ended. “My mother is now having to have dialysis herself then because her remaining kidney is now failing from obesity and high blood pressure. It's hard, she's tired. She can't eat the foods she used to love anymore and can't drink everything she wants. That was her doctor asking me to be be tested as a donor. He didn't know I was undergoing dialysis myself, my mother lied and said I had refused to be tested to be a donor for my sister. She and my father had to do it instead. I owed it to her.”

“No, she owed it to you to be a damn parent and not using your sister as a meal ticket.”

“And get out of my office you little bitch. I called your daughter Sandra, imagine my horror to find out she had been undergoing dialysis herself for years.”

“But what does that have to do with her not giving me a kidney?” She whines.

“Because her kidneys don't work you goddamn fool. Just like you, that's why you're on dialysis.”

“You mean you won't make her give me a kidney?” she says in a wheedling voice, ducking her head and batting her eyelashes up at him. This is sure to get what she wants.

“Why the hell would she give you a kidney that doesn't work? She needs one herself. She's been on the transplant list for years. She's going through the same thing you are but she has to do her dialysis before or after work because she can't lay on her ass all day eating bonbons. I told you to stop overeating before you donated the kidney to your other daughter because something like this would happen.”

“Are you sure you won't make her give me a kidney?” She whimpers.

“Yes, I'm sure I won't make her give you a kidney.” He says snidely. “Damn fool.” He says when she runs off sobbing brokenheartedly. Or waddles off brokenheartedly.. Not only had she not kept her weight under control after donating the kidney, she'd gained more besides.

“Bad news?” His partner asks after the woman has left.

“Idiot lied about her other daughter not wanting to donate to her sister, so she had to. The girl's been undergoing dialysis herself for years.”

“Oh fuck.” He moans. “Am. . .am I sure that I won't make her give her a kidney?”

“Uh, yeah. She's on dialysis because her kidneys don't work.”

“But if she gets a new kidney she can go back to eating a drinking anything she wants. She was miserable having to lose weight to donate her kidney to the other girl. If she'd kept that weight off, she wouldn't need to be on dialysis.”

His partner shakes his head. “But the girl has to work and take dialysis, she can't sit on her ass all day having somebody else take care of her like Momma Dearest.”

“Sa. . .Sandra needs a kidney herself?” her sister whimpers.

“Yeah, she's been on dialysis herself for years. But unlike you she wasn't her family's meal ticket so she wasn't good enough to have your parents give her a kidney. Let alone two.” Her manager says acidly. She whimpers again, her arms over the scars from those surgeries. “She has to work for a living and get dialysis. She's exhausted all the damn time and has been on the transplant list for years.”

“I. . .I didn't know that. Mom and Dad just said she wouldn't get tested.”

“Why the hell would she get tested when she needed one herself?”

“Oh, I . . .I guess I never thought about that.”

“You never thought period, you thought a minor character on a long-running tv show would make you a big star. And it didn't. Not even revealing your health problems got you the roles you felt you deserved. Now you're whining because your sister cared enough about you to warn you that your parents might try to steal your money? Grow up brat. And quit whining about having to do commercials, it's a damn job and keeps your SAG membership active so you can keep your medical coverage.”

Amidala sighs as she leans back in her desk chair for a few minutes after security takes the cart off before walking over to the table. Everybody was busy dealing with the moron who was bleating that there could have been something in all that shit that could have been useful and would be for the rest of the week.

“So no, there was nothing in that shit that they could use and you just annoyed them again.” His boss says scathingly as the fool sobs brokenheartedly in his office. “The ink cartridges don't fit their printers and I'm not going to ask them if they'd be willing to buy all new ones so they can be used.” He wails louder as each item is ticked off and proven to be useless for the agency. “All your whining did was annoy people.” He slaps a hand on the desk as he wails louder. “Shut.It.” he snaps.

“Why come back if he knew nothing was useful or wanted?” Kasie asks the next week when everybody is down in the morgue for a break.

“He was sure he could get us to petition Director Vance that we wanted all of that . . .stuff back.” Gibbs waves a hand. “Unfortunately for him, having all that shit here for nearly a month made us less than inclined to listen to his whining. Let alone fact that they'd already tried finding a use for them before and had to take them back or be arrested when he had enough. That shit was everywhere, not just Amidala's floor.”

“Now my dear?” Ducky asks.

“Quiet, so very, very quiet. I got in more boxes because I knew people were looking for an excuse not to deal with that fool.” Snorts but nods of agreement. “I'm sure he complained they were actually doing their damn job.”

“Instead of kissing his ass like he wanted. Or kicking his ass, like they wanted.” The others snigger.

“Well, are you happy dumbass? Not only did you waste all their time and keep them from doing their work thanks to your whining, you didn't badger anybody into changing their mind about wanting that crap,”

“But if I could just have talked to them.”

“You did moron, all fucking week so they couldn't get their damn jobs done.”

“What about that woman on the floor scanning all those files? I didn't talk to her.”

“Because she's not a government employee, she's an independent contractor and would not have any use for any of that. Go running back there again and I have it on good authority security has orders to shoot you.” His boss growls. He makes an eeping sound and subsides. “But I thought if I could just talk to them. . .” He continues to whine as he's forced to actually do his job as his coworkers laugh at him.

“Boss?” Another man taps on his door.

“Yeah?”

“You ever thought of putting some of this shit up on ebay, facebook marketplace, or another online store?”

“Can you do it?”

“Yes.”

“Go ahead and make a site, let me look it over before it goes live.”

“Can do, boss. Maybe weed out some of this crap instead of just bundling it up and trying to dump it on an agency that doesn't want it or need it.”

The moron tries wailing down the building when he realize that somebody else is making an effort to sell that stuff and goes running to his boss who cusses him out and tells him to grow the hell up,

“Never gonna happen with that type of personality.” Another man snorts. “Christ, why did he put all his fantastic plans on that agency instead of finding other customers?”

“Because other customers wouldn't make him the man.” The person who'd suggested an online store snorts. “He was looking at people falling to his feet to praise him begging to be allowed to buy from him instead of small orders that actually get everything out of here.”

“Sounds about right for that type of personality. Now, how are we advertising this?”

“Social Media?”

“Sounds good.”

“You got permission for this?” He hands over the paperwork that's looked over. “Okay, we are good to go.”

Amidala dodges the robot vacuum making a trip across the carpet as she walks across the lobby from the stairs when she'd gone to change out of her work clothes.

“Are all the crops in now?” She asks Monica.

“And in the stasis chambers until they're used or in the case of the soy, being made into meat or milk. Are we looking into orchards?”

“Yeah, over the next couple of years, working on them now will give us experience for when we move.”

“How are the databursts coming in from the other dimension?”

“Good, the scientists are over the moon and sun demanding to be allowed to go out. They know the building is bare bones, there's no kitchen, bathroom, living areas, they swore up and down they wouldn't need it.”

“Until they did? Figures. Any chance of them actually going out?”

“Hell no, they have no experience with roughing it and are the type that live in the labs and have to be reminded to eat, sleep, shit. . .”

The others nod. “They're just sulking they have to wait for the information.”

“And the ones whining the loudest have no need for the information.” Somebody snickers.

“Any new files appearing out of thin air?”

“No, thank the goddess. The ones who had been snickering about NCIS having all those files are whining they didn't realize it was so much work. The government is not happy at so many case files being found everywhere.”

“Sucks to be them then as the kids would say.” More snickering.

Ducky shakes his head when he sees the state Amidala is in the next morning.

“Yes, I was in a Spark fugue last night. I was on my ship so I got a full night's sleep, ate, and did everything else I needed to do. I'm just tired. I also passed along everything to Mel who is gibbering like a monkey telling me I will be a trillionaire. I do not believe her but she passed along part of this to others who agree. They are already filing the patent everywhere since I made a prototype while I was there.”

“More than one no doubt.”

“Yes, but just the one I needed for the paperwork.”

Amidala starts her tea steeping in the pot as she brings out boxes of files and sips her tea for a few minutes before starting to work.

“Has anybody heard of Ziva's case?” McGee asks quietly as the team is called on a case.

“Life in prison, in her cell 23 hours a day because she's a trained Mossad agent and has pissed off everybody in the prison. The prison can't guarantee her safety, there's no way in Hell people won't try attacking her in a group.”

“And with her attitude and authority problems, she'd go on the attack. Or try to escape.”

“And be shot. Yes.” Ducky says quietly.

Amidala yawns as she warms her lunch up in the microwave and settles down to eat. Security had told her the team had a callout when they had picked up the cart. Her phone from the Embassy buzzes and she answers the call, talking quietly for a few minutes as she eats. Nobody cares since she's coming off a state, anybody who would have a fit wouldn't be calling her anyway.

The next morning Ducky gives her a look since she's still yawning. She waves a hand. “I spent half-the night at Danbury Estates dealing with details about my latest patent. The time difference meant an early morning.” Ducky sighs but nods. “I will get a good night's sleep tonight and I'm off in another day.”

“Fuck you idiot.” Director Vance snarls at the whining fool in front of him “I don't give a shit about how heartbroken you are because nobody observes Ramadan. For the simple reason it's not known if we have Muslim agents or employees in this building so no, I'm not going to force everybody to fast because you're a gatekeeping moron.”

“You don't have any Muslim employees, not one?”

“Not that we know of at this branch, no. We don't ask about religion on their paperwork other than if they need special dispensation and if so, what kind. I haven't had any requests since I took over the office.”

“But you have people bringing in food.”

“Uhhh yah, we don't have a cafeteria. People either bring in their own meals or go out to eat. And those who work nights can't do that because everything around here is closed.”

He runs off wailing. “Fucking moron.”

“Do I wanna know?” The SECNAV asks, having come to the building for an appointment instead of calling on MTAC.

“Fucking moron wanted to ban all food on the premises during the month of Ramadan because people eating around them might make those observing it upset. We have people deliberately bringing in food.”

“Uhhh yeah, you don't have a cafeteria. I don't know why the hell one wasn't added after the bomb.”

“Little fool ran off sobbing when I told him we didn't know if we have any Muslim agents or employees at this branch. It's an optional question on the paperwork.”

“From what I understand, it's their choice. They don't force everybody around them to abide by their beliefs.”

“Yes, the only dispensation that might be needed is getting permission to pray multiple times a day. Something that you can't readily do in the field. Or in a crowded office.”

The SECNAV nods. “Okay, why I came here today. How is Ms. Amderson coming along now that we have all the boxes of files found so far on her floor?”

“She's doing well, averaging ten boxes a day. Last week when we were dealing with that whiny fool she got in extras because she knew secretarial was looking for an excuse not to deal with him.” The SECNAV sniggers despite himself. “I gotta look at the room, but I think we're good for another week or two before we need to take in the recycling.”

“Good, good. You're actually addressing the problem like grownups, unlike some agencies. Who can't understand why their files aren't getting scanned in a timely manner because they have employees doing it in their free time.”

“And they don't have any free time? Because they're actually doing what they were hired to do? Figures.” Director Vance sighs.

“And they don't have the budget or the room to hire people specifically to do the job. You had the room and we had the budget to hire a person specifically to do the job. And Ms. Amderson is doing a fantastic job of it, no matter how much whiny fools complain.”

“They're trying to make themselves look good, not realizing its long hours of typing and scanning papers. Ms. Amderson makes it look easy.” the SECNAV nods.

Unaware she's being talked about, Amidala sips her tea before opening another box of files and starting to work. Idly she wonders just how many files she's scanned but she knows the number would make her cry because it's a drop in the ocean. Maybe when she has two or three rooms down or maybe never because it would make her cry at how an agency could misplace so many files.

Ducky nods at her thoughts when he comes up for morning break. The case yesterday had been a quiet one, the person had been under a doctor's care for advanced heart disease but hadn't chosen to go to hospice, wanting to die at home. They had. The only reason NCIS had been called was a formality as he'd been military. They'd arranged to have the body shipped to the funeral home he had arranged and called the people he had listed in his arrangements that had been found in the 'I'm dying, this is what I want to happen' envelope by his bed. It had taken a few hours though to get back to the office and complete the necessary paperwork.

Back at the Embassy she looks over the paperwork for the patent and puts it in the fire safe with the other patent paperwork.

“Has anybody heard anything about this winter?”

“They're hoping for a normal winter since last year was so bad but they're not certain. The commercial farms were used to being able to plant by a certain time and the weather delayed that. People are complaining about shortages on store shelves but if it's still in the ground growing, it's not being made into stuff.”

“If they can even harvest it this late. Fall crops are meant to be harvested after it gets colder, not some of this stuff.”

“Yes, I fully expect some of the crops will rot in the field if they can't harvest it early. Even if they can, the factories might not accept them in less than ripe conditions.” The others nod. “Some stuff is picked green and sent half-way across the country to be ripened with gas but not stuff like wheat, rice, corn. . . “

Everybody nods. The portal alarm blares and Mel rolls her eyes as she comes out. “The whiners are in full force, they want proof you created that.”

“Fuck, I can create another prototype, a second or third generation one. After I swear at the fools.”

The fool who'd tried claiming she couldn't possibly have created that runs off blubbering they didn't know she was a Spark or that she had several dozen patents to her credit. Or that she was the niece of the ruler of the country or an Ambassador, they'd just seen she was a file clerk. He. . .he was just gonna hold onto the patent until the real inventor could be found. Nobody had believed him and he had been quickly arrested and charged with fraud. Nobody believed this wasn't the first time he'd tried this shit either and the authorities in his country was investigating his business practices.

How are the former Luthor holdings coming along?”

“Good, they're even more prosperous than they were because we've been able to offer them new directions to work.” her uncle says. Then smirks. “They allowed him access to a business channel, the poor boy had a fit about his former businesses being more successful without him at the helm until the ceiling started creaking and dirt started wafting down on him. He's now back to watching children's programming 24/7 teaching him the virtues of being a good citizen.”

“The concrete plug that weighs a more than two tons will kill him before being crushed by the weight of the earth above him. Or we get tired of his bullshit and stop giving him food and water.”

Amidala is yawning again. She waves a hand at Ducky's look. “Some damn fool didn't believe that I created my latest patent. He was going to take it and hold it for the real inventor.”

Ilya says something rude in Russian. “Yeah, he's been arrested and his businesses are being investigated because nobody believes this is the first time he tried this shit. He just targeted the wrong person this time.”

“No, he just chose to target the wrong person this time. Like Luthor he thought he could control the world, and like Luthor he was proved wrong.” Ilya says. “And speaking of Luthor?”

“Had a fit when he was shown footage of his former businesses doing well without him. At least until soil started trickling from a slot in the ceiling. He knows we don't need him and will take him out without a second's hesitation. All that soil above him . . he doesn't know the plug will kill him quicker.”

“Either way, dead is dead. I'm surprised I haven't heard of the superheroes wailing that he shouldn't face that kind of punishment.”

“Why not? What about his victims, don't they deserve justice? They couldn't answer that.”

“No, they couldn't. Because they know it will never happen if they continue doing everything the way they are. Arkham is a revolving door in Gotham, supervillains only go there for a vacation.” Ilya sighs.

Amidala sighs as she sips her tea while the computer is getting ready, putting her tea up and opening up the first box. She soon settles into a rhythm, only looking up when the door opens for security. “Is it that late already?” She says, looking at the clock. Stretching she walks to the table and warms up her meal, sitting down to eat with a notebook making plans for the weekend since everybody is busy doing inventory to prove they wouldn't use any of that shit the moron was blubbering about because he'd went above his boss's head. His boss had cussed him out long and loud, so had Director Vance for annoying his agents and other employees again.

“I. . . I didn't know that's why he was whining.” The owner of the company blubbered.

“Really, why the hell did you think he came running to you? Because I told the goddamn fool to grow up. The agency never purchased any of that shit before, why would they start now? There's nothing in that shit he thought would make him the man that they wanted. Little asshole tried demanding they buy all new printers so they had to take the cartridges.”

“Ohhh. But he's my sister's son.”

“I don't care if he's Mahatma Gandhi. You hired me to run this business, not him.”

“Then nobody stole his sale?”

“His sale? That goddamn moron left nearly 80 pallets parked everywhere at NCIS for over two weeks after being told it was stuff that nobody would use there and the only reason he brought them back was because the Director threatened to have him arrested. That was after people had gone over the pallets and he knew it was nothing they could use. There was no goddamn sale.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh. And last week the goddamn fool spent the entire week at NCIS badgering the employees there that were they absolutely positively sure that they didn't need any of the stuff they had to take back? All goddamn week.”

“Christ. He didn't tell me any of that.”

“Of course he didn't, he wouldn't be the fucking victim otherwise. He's sulking now because he didn't get the fantastic sales that would make him the MAN in the business and somebody else had the idea this week to create a website to sell the shit.”

“Ohhh.”

“Yeah. . ..Ohhh. Now I gotta apologize to the NCIS director for bothering his employees again. And beat the living shit out of that fool since he's too goddamn stupid to learn his actions have consequences.”

“AND GROW UP YOU GODDAMN STUPID LITTLE SHIT! Going running to your uncle didn't get you wanted, did it?”

“No.” He ducks his head.

“Damn right, no. Your uncle hired me to run the business for a reason. Because I know what I'm doing and are making him a profit. You're a disgrace trying to be a big man and failing badly. Now shut the fuck up about NCIS and quit bothering them. They don't know you from a hole in the ground and they don't want to know you from a hole in the ground. Not one thing you sent out they could use. Not.One. This is what they normally order.” He slides the paperwork across the desk and the fool wails because he can tell it's nothing he had packed up and sent over. “And before you ask if they might be lying, this is their standard order. Now quit your whining that Madse is actually getting some of that shit sold on the website they created and find something to do that doesn't involve bothering people. Like putting together orders as they come in.”

“But I don't like putting together orders.” He whines.

“I don't give a shit what you like. I'm your boss, you'll do as you're damn told. Or quit. But if you go running to your uncle again, I will fucking kill you. Do you understand?” He gulps at the look of pure hatred on his boss's face.

His former coworkers in the warehouse laugh nastily as the fool skulks in, they'd wondered how long his bigger and brighter prospects would last. His boss gives him a look. “In the back pulling the pallets and putting stuff where it belongs.”

“That's the new guy's job.” He complains.

“You are the new guy, twit. Your seniority vanished when you left. Now you get to start all over again.” He's pointed at the back of the warehouse. “And you can start with all that shit that had to be brought back from NCIS. We need the room for the new stuff coming in. You know the drill.”

Amidala sighs and rubs her eyes as Security takes the cart away. Standing up and stretching she grabs her stuff and walks out of the building, putting everything in the car and driving off. Thankfully this was a four day break so she can rest for a while, unless more idiots start whining about her latest patent. In which case she will make her aunt upset with her language because she has had enough of that nonsense, thank you very much.

Amidala slumps onto the couch in her sitting room, closing her eyes and taking a brief nap. She drags herself down to eat a couple hours later, looking out the window of the restaurant at the sleeting rain covering the windows.

“Everybody inside?”

“Yes, and the shields are up since your aunt said the precogs are feeling. . .unsettled. And the portal is locked down.”

“Damn it, I swear I'm going to order a fucking militia worth of weapons to have on hand.” She sighs.

The alarms going off in the middle of the night brings everybody down to the safe rooms. “Us?” Amidala asks.

“No, not even our area.” The head of overnight security says. “Major battle on the other coast.”

“This what the precogs were seeing?”

“Doubtful.”

The others try to get some sleep on the cots. A hand on her shoulder wakes Amidala. “What?”

“A call from your godmother Lady Diana. Luthor is dead, this was a two pronged attempt for him to escape and that fool who was after your patent. Both are dead. The minute they tried appeared over the sky, the order went out to start the concrete plug dropping. The other asshole tried attacking Danbury Estates, his men were captured and he was killed by the authorities trying to escape.”

“Which is why the portal was on lockdown.”

“Exactly.”

“Are they the only fatalities?”

“Nobody on our side, but there were some deaths on their side beyond them.” Amidala shakes her head and looks at the time, heading upstairs to her suite to shower and dress for the day. When she comes downstairs her cousin is in the hotel. “Yes, I'm here for at least two weeks. Dad is going to be busy with meetings about this, both our government, the US government, and dumbass's corporations. His higher-ups are very quickly backpedaling even faster about not knowing what kind of person he was.”

“Oh Bullshit.” Somebody snorts.

“Exactly. They all knew what kind of person he was but as long as he was making them money it didn't matter. Now that he's not making them money they're trying to claim they didn't know anything so they don't get charged themselves.”

“Indeed.” A man coming out behind Mel says. “Archibald Lansing, I'm the new attorney of record for the Embassy. I'll be coming back and forth a couple times a week while this is being sorted out and then on call as needed. Or one of my associates will be on call.” Amidala nods in understanding. “Does everybody live here in the hotel?”

“Yes, I've asked multiple times if anybody wanted an apartment building brought out but they like being under one roof in case of an emergency. Yes, they could have their own secure areas in the apartment buildings. . .” she says at his look. “But everybody prefers to be under one roof.” He looks around and sees everybody nodding firmly. So it's not a case of her forcing everybody under one roof. . . he's not too sure what to make of that.

“Thank god I was off today. My ass would be dragging at . . .” The phone rings and Monica grabs it automatically. “Danbury Estates Emb. . . yes, Director Vance everybody is okay here. The alarms went off and we had an interrupted night's sleep but other than that nobody was bothered. Yes, Amidala was just saying thank god she was off work today.”

“Work?” He asks quietly.

“We don't need an embassy, the only reason we have one is the former President felt it was beneath his dignity to deal with a private party about the recycling. Amidala is the Ambassador yes, but she owns the property and land. She's not needed here all the time so she has a full-time job scanning old documents for NCIS since the government has been finding 'lost' files here, there, and everywhere for the last couple of years.” The head of security says calmly. “Hell, we have multiple businesses based here including carpet cleaning, the recycling, and a delivery service since none of the apps want to come to our area.”

“What's the schedule for the recycling?” Amidala asks at breakfast since everybody is here. She has the feeling she's going to have her uncle replace Lansing as the attorney of record since he's finding fault with everything.

“All hands on deck if possible because we have two shipments of government recycling with a shipment of debris.”

A few minutes later the alarms for the portal to the embassy sounds and the guards stiffen until they see a furious Amidala coming through with the old fool who had said he was going to clean up the mess of the Embassy in an armlock.

“You didn't make it an entire hour?” One of them asks, taking him off her hands. “Sorry Amidala, the fool appointed himself Lord and Master and your uncle knew he'd mess it up. He doesn't like how the Embassy is run.”

“Oh yes, he doesn't like the idea everybody lives in the hotel. He doesn't like the idea of the businesses being at the embassy, he doesn't like me having a full-time job, he doesn't like the fact that some days it's all hands on deck when we have three trucks of recycling coming in, and he tried blaming me for all this for not allowing my patents to be stolen.” She ticks items off on her fingers.

“Moron.”

“If we do need to have an attorney on record, try not to make it a total asshole?”

“Your uncle was thinking about giving the position to your former classmate Amanda Lancaster? She specializes in international law.”

“Yeah, I can deal with the brain.”

Amidala walks back into the restaurant. “Heads up, Uncle Hector is thinking of giving the position of Embassy attorney to Amanda Lancaster.”

Mel laughs. “Oh god, I can't believe I miss the arguments you two had about the strangest things. I think you did it deliberately to annoy the teachers.”

“We did.” Amidala smirks.

“Was he really trying to make the Embassy run the way he wanted?” Somebody asks.

“Oh yes, he was incensed that we all live in the hotel, that we have all the businesses, that I have a full-time job because I'm not needed here,” Everybody snorts at that comment. “You all saw the fit about everybody eating together here and how somedays it's all hands on deck at the recycling center, and the attacks was my fault for not allowing my patents to be stolen.”

“Miserable asshole.”

“I won't be surprised to find out he's somehow involved with that moron who didn't believe it was my patent and wanted it 'held' for the real inventor.”

Sounds of agreement from the others. The sound of swearing from the head of security since he's looking through the briefcase that had been dropped when Amidala had grabbed him at the fit he'd had when people had started making plans for the recycling. Excusing himself, the sound of the alarms for the portal can be heard. “Well, sucks to be him then. Instead of looking like a fool, he's looking at serious charges I'm afraid.”

“Yep.”

True to their words, he is quickly arrested on Treason charges when the briefcase is given to the Duke.

Mel is helping with the recycling along with the others, shooting the debris with a replicator gun into crystals to be sorted through later, Monica takes the full crystals and soon the truck is emptied and the driver takes the rig off to be cleaned at the truck stop while he looks to see if there's a load going back the way he'd came.

The boxes of files and other recycling finally stop moving through the lines and the now full crystals sorted out into the baskets in the other rooms. The debris crystals are sorted through next for anything that might have slipped through the cracks and turned into energy.

“Do you see us being asked to handle dumps again?” Pieter asks at dinner.

“Yes, in the next few years since even with recycling debris adds up.” Amidala yawns. “As well as the dumps that were getting close to being closed that weren't dealt with before.”

“Do I want to know?” Amidala asks a few days later when she returns from NCIS.

“Paperwork to steal the Embassy, fire everybody, take over control of all your patents. . . Notepads full of attempts to forge your signature.”

“Asshole. Arrested?”

“Oh yes. Quickly charged with treason and screaming that Sparks don't deserve to keep their inventions. He and his buddies want that money.”

“Let me guess, the idiots quickly trying to back away even further from that fool?”

“Indeed. They're now arrested themselves and beating the stupidity out of him in jail. When they're not being forced to work to repay all the patents stolen from the rightful owners. The only reason they got that is their own country wanted them punished for what they'd been doing and thought that death by firing squad would be over too quickly.”

“Morons.”

“Oh yes, they're wailing it's not fair they're being punished . . .finally for everything that they'd been doing. They just saw how much money they'd make from your latest patent and went on the attack. They didn't know Sparks were treated like human beings and not animals in Danbury Estates. They didn't like that Sparks were treated like human beings and not animals in Danbury Estates.”

“Assholes.”

“Indeed.”

Ducky shakes his head the next morning when he sees Amidala's eyes looking off into the distance before she pulls herself back to the present, he knows its something to do with what happened last week and pats her on the shoulder.

“How are you doing?”

“Sad that even now being a Spark can make you a target of greed and hatred. Hopeful that this is the last of the supporters of both that asshole who tried stealing my latest patent and Luthor. Sad that both of them were so greedy and stupid they had to steal others work to make themselves look better.”

“Have the necromancers tried summoning their souls?” Kasie asks quietly.

“Yes, both are truly dead. And hating it. No do overs, no fakeouts, no body doubles, no clones. It was truly them. The people who supported the fool who tried claiming my last patent are wailing in jail cells because their buddy was trying to destroy everything of mine but was so hateful he never got beyond insulting everything at the Embassy. They're beating him half to death for destroying their lives while having to work long hours sorting recycling and other debris with their bare hands to repay all the patents they stole.”

“Couldn't happen to a bunch of nicer thieves.” McGee snorts from the doorway. “Did they truly build that cell just for Luthor?”

“No, it was a decommissioned missile silo.” Amidala sighs. “It couldn't be sold because of an accident that made it radioactive, they finished filling it in after the plug was dropped. Unless somebody like Green Lantern could clear it out, it was too much money to dig out and fill in and they couldn't sell it like they have others because of the radiation.” The others nod. “The site is now a protected military instillation to keep anybody from trying to dig down to find samples of the bastard's DNA.”

“I doubt there's anything left to sample. Not with the weight of the concrete. That's why so few bodies were found in the world trade center.” Gibbs says.

“That was also the jet fuel fire.” Jimmy says sadly. Gibbs nods.

“Dumb question, but did you ever find any of the space shuttle tanks that fall off when you cleaned the oceans?”

“Yep, NASA didn't have a use for them so we kept one of each as museum exhibits and recycled the rest. No,” she says, knowing what the other woman is desperately trying not to ask. “We didn't find any of the Challenger or Columbia debris. I know they found some Challenger debris years after the fact but not us, we didn't go down that far on any of our cleaning jaunts to keep from disturbing shipwrecks and Atlantis.” Kasie nods in understanding.

“We have gone down that far, I've seen the Titanic myself and it's breathtaking.” The others look at her hungrily. “Come out this weekend and we'll make the trip.”

“Okay,” Amidala looks at Gibbs after asking him to hold up for a minute. “I know you're going to be retiring sooner or later.” He slowly nods. “Get me a list of what you need for a good sized workshop to build furniture and your boats and I'll furnish it for you on the Embassy grounds. Everybody knows by now I'm going to be going out to the other dimension with the Embassy a link, it's a good second business and I know you're not happy here.”

“I don't think I've been happy since I lost Kelly and Shannon. There's a reason why I say the second B is for Bastard.”

Amidala shakes her head. “Would either of them have wanted you to live like this?”

“No, Shannon would have kicked me in the ass and told me to get a life. Kelly would have called me a big poopyhead.”

Amidala smiles as she sees her old sparring partner at the hotel. “So Uncle Hector did make you the Embassy attorney?”

“He did, I'll come out once every couple weeks unless there's a need to come out sooner.”

“I doubt you will, it's just a formality.” Amanda nods. “Oh, in case you didn't hear it yet. That old fool Lansing and his cronies were convicted on all counts and quickly shipped to prison. They didn't like working one job in jail, they'll hate working two in prison.”

“Couldn't happen to a nicer asshole.”

“Indeed.”

“Now, is there anything I need to look over?”

“No, our our business plans and loans are looked over. No idiots are running around trying to sue us for existing.”

“Good, always nice to see people with some common sense.”

“The younger kids learned it from having to deal with old fools who felt it was beneath them.” Mel smirks. Amanda smirks back at her. “A common complaint from a teacher we used to have.” Amidala says at the others looks. “Whatever happened to that old fool? I know she left the school after our year, supposedly in retirement.”

“Fired in disgrace. She thought she was so special being able to mold young minds. Sucked up to that fool Morganstern since her Daddy was a big industrialist and didn't realize that I was the youngest daughter of the fucking head of the country or that you were his niece. Whatever happened to that stupid girl?”

“Tried taking over her father's companies and ran them into the ground. The little bitch was sobbing Daddy made it look so easy.” Amidala mock rubs crocodile tears from her eyes. “I ended up buying the entire corporation at a bankruptcy auction. She screamed so pretty when she realized it was me. Tried demanding a clause giving her back control of the company and her own lawyer called her a goddamn fool, she'd already destroyed it once she wasn't getting a second bite of the apple. I was allowed to purchase it because I could keep the corporations going and no employee lost their job.”

“She always was an idiot, thinking she was so better than the rest of us. Remember the look on both their faces when Dad came up and hugged us both, congratulating us on graduating with honors and sharing the top spot?”

“Idiots didn't realize your last name might mean your were related to the royal family?”

“They sure the fuck did when I called the Duke Daddy.” Mel smirks. “They faces turned snow white. They looked like they shit themselves when you called him Uncle Hector.”

Amidala sips a mug of tea with honey the next morning after bringing out the boxes of files for the day, Maintenance had brought her more supplies while she was off so she was stocked up on blades for the box cutters, markers, and other supplies in her desk and around the room. Opening the first file she starts working.

“Are the other agencies still wailing about how Ms. Amderson is making them look bad by actually getting files scanned?” The head of secretarial asks Director Vance as he comes in to check on how soon they need to take in the files.

“Yes, they don't want to devote somebody to doing that job specifically so they have people do it when they have the time. For our 40+ boxes weekly, they might get two. And that's with working on the boxes for weeks at a time. Meanwhile the boxes are piling up and nothing is getting done.”

“And they're getting called out by the government. Who is still finding more warehouses full of files. Thankfully, none of ours recently. Ms. Amderson is finally feeling like she's making some progress on the back files.”

Amidala yawns as she leans back in the chair after security took the boxes away and shuts off the computer and scanner for the night, grabbing her cooler, purse, and jacket before heading off.

A couple days later Gibbs looks around the spaceship and nods. He settles into a seat by the others as they lift off and fly to a spot over the ocean, diving into the water.

“Oh.My.God!” Kasie says quietly as she sees possibly the most famous shipwreck in history. They go around the shipwreck so they can view it from all angles and the debris field surrounding it. After they surface Amidala sends the footage off somewhere, getting a quiet thank you.

“Ocean Hole?”

“Robert Ballard?”

“Yeah, I go down every couple of years to see how things are progressing.” She says quietly. “The government has made it a protected site to keep lookylou's from going down here on excursions.

The last people besides me who came down was James Cameron in his own submersible after Titanic came out.”

The others are quiet when they return to the hotel, Gibbs silently handing over a notebook to Amidala. She looks everything over and nods, “We can work with this. Two workshops, one for those who work with hand tools and one with power tools?”

“Works. Wood?”

“We can get in a good supply. Fuck. Sawmill.”

“And a place for drying it unless it already is.” One of the others sighs. “My family's big into woodworking, I'll get a list of what we'll need.”

“At least the sawdust can be used in stalls for horses and cattle.”

Amidala moans. “Something else that will have to be thought of in the other dimension.”

Gibbs watches the truck of recycling pull out. “How often?”

“Every day from other parts of the country, once a month or so from the other agencies since unlike NCIS they don't have people working just on the old files.” Ducky sighs but nods. “Then they can't possibly understand why the files are now scanned in a more timely manner?”

“Of course, the reason I was hired was because secretarial didn't have the time to do it. And there's more employees at NCIS than the other agencies.”

“And many, many, many more files.”

“At least with the alternate power we don't need to find a river to run a water wheel for the sawmill.”

“Or cut it by hand. Yes, they have sawmills in the information.” He grins and starts to look it up. “Amidala?” A woman asks.

“Looking for more room for quilts and clothes?” Amidala asks.

“Yes.”

“Give me the information and we can either add another couple floors to the main building or give you your own.” She then turns her attention to Monica. “That goes for you too, make sure you have enough room for your soapmaking.”

“Already working on plans for a couple buildings that can be expanded in the future. Like quilts and clothes, it will be needed in the future.”

“Can we buy rolls of fabric and yarn?”

“Easily. And hold them in boxes until they're needed.” Amidala stretches and yawns. “Do we need a larger truck for your purchases at expos?”

“Not if we have the boxes. If somebody's with me they can fill them as the truck fills. If I'm alone, I can do it.”

“Bring everything out back home, sort it out, and put it back in boxes?”

The woman nods. “At least until I have the room to store everything I buy.”

“Never gonna happen.” somebody snickers. Nods from everybody. “Books?”

“Yes, we should put together a library of both reference material for anything we might need, nonfiction, and fiction.”

“Better have more than one, for different areas. One for mechanical things, one for agriculture. . .” Nods from everybody. “Soapmaking books, books about clothing. . . “

Areas are called out and a list made, both current areas and things they'll need for the future when they move.

“Do we have anything on herbal medicine?”

“Yes, on the server. It's a degree from both Oxford and Johns Hopkins in their dimension.” The others look excited and start reading.

“Okay, the orders going out next week?”

A list goes up on the main screen and everybody looks it over. “Yes, all of this is on the server in case of shortages or an emergency.” Monica says. “Again, if it's not a brand you like you're free to buy your own and add it to the replicator database.”

“Are we starting to grow earlier next year?”

“If we can. That all depends on the weather.”

“What's the latest on you going out to start surveying the other dimension?”

“Year after next, they want to see an entire weather cycle before we even think of going out. Next year we'll start getting in supplies for the trip.”

“Two fields of soy just for your ship?”

“Better make it three. Along with two for the vat meat and milk here.”

“Corn?”

“Yes. Do we have a way to mill it if we grow wheat?”

“No, but that's something we'll have to think about in the future. Along with rice.” One of the cooks sighs. “Information on the server?”

“Yes, they have a grist mill for the outlying farms that grow wheat, the larger crops they have a 'flour factory' on the seventh planet. These are entire planets of wheat. Yes, we don't need it but the wheat was turned into flour and made into bread for all the planets. And for a while there the school was full of students.”

“We'll need a way to bring the wheat to the mill and the resulting flour back to the farms.”

“Links?”

“Could work, however the wheat was packaged going out the flour would be coming back if possible.”

“How did they. . .”

“Forty pound bags and hundred pound barrels. The barrels were mostly used in the restaurants and school kitchens because not everybody can carry a barrel.” The cooks nod. “Even a 40 pound bag would last a home most of a year.”

“Fuck, eggs.”

“Bags of dried eggs and chicken farms. Dairies.” The others nod and lists are made. “Dry milk too.”

“Those bags of biscuit mix?

“Again to have on hand in the replicators. I have tons of recipes on the server for stuff like salted and preserved lemons, turning cucumbers into pickles. . . “ The others nod.

Monday Amidala is sipping a mug of tea as the computer and scanner warm up before she opens a box of files and starts working. It's spitting rain and people are starting to get concerned about another bad winter because they're beginning to see empty spots on store shelves.

“Really, people have been talking about this for months. Now they pay attention?” Kasie snorts at lunch.

“They're affected now, before that they could poo poo it off as hysteria.” Jimmy says dryly. The others nod.

“Did I see homemade bread at the hotel?”

“Yes, everybody is learning how to make it ourselves for the future. Along with other food.” Ducky nods in satisfaction.

“Are you getting 'oh my god, are we really going to another dimension, I thought you were just funning me, I don't wanna go' whining.”

“Not at the Embassy, everybody has known for a while this was going to happen and it won't be for years. If they don't wanna go, they can move back to Danbury Estates. All the people on the list to come out to the Embassy are vetted and know what is going to happen. Not that that's going to do them much good because the whole damn country will be moving eventually.”

“It won't matter to them, they'll be dead by then?” Jimmy snorts.

“I'm sure they'll be whining about it in Hell. That their complaining didn't make everybody stop to do what they wanted.” McGee snorts.

“That's a good half of humanity.”

“Only half?”

At the embassy the shipments of supplies are coming in and being put away by everybody who's not busy handling the recycling. They've been buying extra to have on hand and with being able to add floors and expand areas and get in extra supplies to have on hand in case of a bad winter and store shelves being empty.

The alert for the portal sounds and everybody stiffens until Aaron walks through. “Amidala still at work?”

“Yes.”

“Tell her when she gets back to come to Danbury Estates, the requests for her latest patent are coming in and she needs to go through everything.”

Monica calls her cell phone and hands the receiver to Aaron. Aaron talks to his daughter a few minutes and ends the call. “She'll be out as soon as she comes back and probably spend the rest of the night there until tomorrow when she has to come back to . . . deposit her check? She'll work Friday instead?”

“Director Vance gives her her check every other Monday for the two weeks previously, she normally works an hour over Mondays and Wednesdays to make up the two hours she's late Tuesdays since the bank opens after she's already at work.”

“And she can't deposit the check electronically?”

“Not these size checks.” Monica snickers. “They're usually around ten thousand dollars since Amidala got the raise.”

“Ah yes,” The phone rings. “Danb. . .Yes Amidala? Director Vance told you to head off after lunch. You'll be there in a couple hours?” Aaron nods in understanding.

“Amidala?” Ducky asks as he hurries into Director Vance's office that afternoon after finding the office empty.

“She got a call from the Embassy, they need her in Danbury Estates to go over the paperwork from everybody wanting to use her latest patent. Director Vance gave her this afternoon and tomorrow off, she'll work extra Wednesday and Thursday to make this afternoon up and Friday for tomorrow.”

He nods in understanding and heads back to the morgue. “Paperwork for her latest patent, she'll be off until Wednesday and work Friday to make up for tomorrow.”

Wednesday morning Amidala walks into NCIS an hour early. Director Vance looks at her from the catwalk.

“Hours and hours and hours of going over the paperwork.” She moans.

Everybody in earshot nods.

Amidala yawns as she starts the tea steeping as she looks at the boxes in the cart and grabs a few more, she can fill the cart again after lunch she thinks. The door opens behind her and she looks over at Ducky. “Paperwork, lots and lots and lots of paperwork. But this should be the worst of it as everybody frantically tries to get their hands on it, the rest will come in two or three at a time.” Ilya nods. “Yes, I slept. I borrowed Mel's ship a couple times to get some rest while we were going through the paperwork.”

Friday afternoon Amidala slumps into the passenger seat of her car. By now everybody is used to seeing nobody in the driver's seat and dammit she's tired.

“Amidala, your godmother, Mr. Wayne, and Mel are up in the quiet room.”

“Amidala, are you okay?” Diana asks when she walks into the room.

“Just tired. This week is one I'd normally be working Monday through Thursday but with taking Monday afternoon and all day Tuesday off to go over the patent paperwork I worked extra hours Wednesday and Thursday to make up my hours from Monday and worked today to make up for Tuesday. No, I didn't have to. I wanted to. At least with all the boxes on my floor now I feel like I'm finally making some progress in getting through the old files. Before now it was, yeah, I emptied a room. Big deal, it will just be filled again in a couple days.”

“As it is, you're still looking at decades to get all the files scanned on the servers.” Mel sighs. Amidala nods. She looks at the two of them. “I wanted to talk about using your patent.”

“I was wondering why I hadn't seen anything from Wayne in the paperwork Monday and Tuesday.” She sighs.

“Quick question, do you own Luthor's old holdings?”

“Personally no, Danbury Estates was given the businesses after he tried attacking the Embassy.”

Mel makes a game show buzzer sound. “Nope, Dad says you're the new owner. Same with that fool who tried stealing this patent because he didn't believe you had invented it and was holding it for the 'real' inventor.” Amidala looks at her cousin and sighs. Bruce and Diana snicker despite themselves.

“Is it all in good hands?”

“Yes, despite that old fool and his cronies whining they'd go bankrupt unless they were given the patent.” Mel snorts. “They just weren't seeing the massive profits they wanted.”

Amidala waves everybody into the restaurant, pointedly getting looked at a table by the others. Bruce and Diana snicker again.

“Are the idiot scientists still whining about not being out in the other dimension to examine the probe data as it happens instead of getting it from the databursts?” Amidala asks after they've been served.

“Oh gods, yes. They can't understand why they couldn't go out.”

“Umm, because it's a building with instruments gathering data. There's no place to eat, sleep, or go to the bathroom?” Monica drawls from another table. “Let alone what is so special that getting the information live is different than getting the information daily?”

“Not that they need the information?”

“Of course not.”

“Okay, any Embassy business this weekend?”

“No, everything is quiet.”

“Recycling?”

“Only the one Saturday and Sunday.”

“Are the crystals still getting full?”

“No, we had a large order go out today that took care of a lot of the excess.”

“Order?” Bruce asks.

“Every so often we get orders from places for bales of cardboard and rolls of paper. Since we can make it from the crystals it's all new.”

Diana nods in satisfaction. “Are we getting orders for the metal?”

“Oh yes. Not as frequently as the paper but we're also not getting the massive amounts of metal we do the papers since we're getting all those files coming in.”

“Be even worse when they start scanning the current documents onto the server, that takes three years to deal with everything before a certain date. We'll have old and newer coming in at the same time. We'll probably need triple the space those years. Because the government is still finding warehouses full of files.”

Bruce and Diana stare at her in disbelief. Amidala holds up a hand. “Truth. I enlarged all the rooms on my floor at NCIS fifteen times their actual size because they had found eight more warehouses of files plus the boxes that were still in warehouses that they didn't have room to bring out. As it was the hallway was full of boxes that had be brought out of another warehouse that had water leaking on them. From the way they smelled, the roof had been leaking for a while. Those were piled on one side of the hallway while the other was full of pallets of stuff some nimrod thought the agency would be forced to buy even though it was nothing they used. They finally had to take it all back over two weeks after being told no because Director Vance threatened arrest. And the fool has been whining nonstop that NCIS could have brought everything. Spent a week whining about how they could take the pallets in meetings with agents and other employees.” Bruce shakes his head. “Idiot.”

“Oh yes, he couldn't understand why they wouldn't buy all new printers to use the cartridges he wanted to sell them.”

Bruce closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, slowly letting it out. “Yes, the story is he went running to the owner of the company who's his uncle lying that somebody had stolen his big sale. His boss called him a lying fool, there was no sale. That somebody else had suggested an online store to try to sell some of that crap. Little fool went whining back to the warehouse where he had been working and lost all his seniority so he had to go back to doing hard work again.”

“Couldn't have happened to a more deserving asshole.” Monica drawls.

“Now, when are you going out to the other dimension?”

“Next year, we want at least one full weather cycle from the probes before we go out. I'd rather have two just in case one winter is a fluke.” The others nod. “We're planting three fields of soy for my food replicators plus two for the vat raised meat and milk here.”

“Vat raised meat?”

“Created from soy that looks at tastes just like real meat. It can range from a single meal from a food replicator that would feed one person to items that would feed several people for a month. Or more.” One of the cooks says. “In stasis, it lasts forever.”

“How are you coming along on getting your ships enlarged for these trips?”

“Good, the rooms and floors are completed, the new servers have been installed. . .Books and DVDS are being added monthly. The soy for the vat meat and supplies for the growing areas will be the last things to be added before we go.”

“Five years surveying the dimension?”

“Yes, we'll put up probes to show us where we left off on the last trip. I don't see us going out more than every other year unless it's an 'oh shit, everybody is going out now' moment. I don't doubt that we'll be out by the time the last survey is completed, let alone start exploring space until we're settled in for a while.” Diana nods.

After dinner Amidala takes Bruce on a tour of her spaceship, Diana nodding at the new additions. “Do you plan on adding onto the grounds?”

“Yes, one of the men at NCIS is well past retirement age and builds boats in his basement. We're looking at a couple of workshops for building boats and furniture, one hand tools and one power tools. Once we get them set up we'll get in the wood. By then we might be in the other dimension.” Diana nods. “We need to put up a library, a few of them. A main one and then areas of specialization in various places.”

Diana nods. “We're still talking about a larger space for quilting and making clothes, Monica is working on plans for a couple buildings for soapmaking. We're talking about bringing out a sawmill to cut the wood as well as a building to store, maybe two for before and after. . .”

Tuesday Amidala sips her mug of tea as she waits for her computer to finish booting up. The boxes of files are on one side and the empty cart is on the other. Sliding the mug to a safe spot on the desk she starts to work.

“God, I can't believe it's October already.” Kasie sighs at the morning break.

“Long last winter and a short summer and fall.” Jimmy sighs. “Your generator?”

“Arriving this weekend, supposed to be Saturday morning.”

“Need us to come out?”

“Part of the purchase price was installation.”

“Okay, what did you need?” Amidala asks when she returns to the hotel. She can see one of the others is trying very hard to ask a question.

“The candy store in town is up for sale.”

“Give me the details after I've eaten.” she says. “Ignore me if I'm abrupt, some damn moron was wailing like a siren outside my door all damn afternoon. He screamed at me when I opened the door to find out what the fuck was going on and I decked the little bastard. Director Vance told him serves him right, it was his own damn fault.”

Everybody in earshot rolls their eyes. “What was that all about, do you know?”

“Oh yes, the damn fool hated the fact that NCIS had a person whose job was just to scan the old files. It made his agency look bad. They couldn't possibly have enough files to make it worthwhile. Not like them.”

“Oh Bullshit.”

“Oh yes, he was stunned that the entire floor except for my office was boxes of files. How. . .how. . .how can they have so many boxes?”

“Umm, because people just shoved them wherever and forgot about them for decades?” Monica drawls.

“Indeed, not to mention the fact NCIS is five times the size of his agency. But he's getting his ass chewed by his superiors and whining because NCIS and other agencies are actually working on the damn files.”

The woman brings her the information after Amidala has eaten and taken a pain reliever and she nods. “Buy it. Why is it up for sale?”

“Sales were poor this year because of the weather.”

“Talk to computers to see if a website would bring in orders and talk to the people who work there to see if the candy can be shipped.” The others nod..

“I thought you were going home?” Amidala looks over at Mel.

“Big meeting of the Duchy Council about a country that's losing it's ruler. He's going to be gone a few days so I'm out here another week while Uncle Aaron and Mom rule the country and Dad is busy.”

“No heirs?”

“Nope, it's Masterson.”

“Oh, that old fool.” Monica says, rolling her eyes. “Of course he never had any heirs, he probably never had the time to have sex with his yes men controlling his every action. The only way he'd have had a kid if one of them had been a woman and that would never have been allowed.”

“He's a bitter old fool seeing everybody around him embracing new ideas and being prosperous for it. Meanwhile he's trying to show the old ways are best and failing miserably. Tourism? Pfft, there's nothing there to make people come to visit and even if there was, there isn't anywhere for them to stay or spend money. Hell, the trains go right through the country without stopping because there's literally nothing there. They have no train stations, no airports. . .nothing.”

“And grow up you stupid little fool.” The man who'd been screaming all afternoon banging doors and throwing boxes of files is told icily by his superiors. “I don't care how butthurt you are by Ms. Amderson supposedly making a fool out of you. Grow the hell up and have one employee working on nothing but those boxes. You might see some improvement.”

“But I didn't know they had so many boxes. Why hy hy hy hy do they have so many boxes?” He wails

“Because they're a fucking large agency Moron. They do more in a day than you do in a century. Grow the hell up, assign somebody to the job of only working on those files until they're done. That's why NCIS has somebody only working on that job.”

Amidala yawns the next morning as she walks into her office, starting a pot of water for tea as she starts bringing out boxes. The computer and scanner is turned on and she sips tea as she waits for everything to get ready for the day. Putting her mug down in a spot where it won't be in the way she starts to work.

She holds up a hand when security arrives and finishes three files, writing the number of files on the box after putting them inside. Security grins and heads off as Jimmy comes in, grinning and grabbing the cooler.

“Did Mel make it home okay?”

“Nope, she's out for another week. Uncle Hector is in a meeting with the leaders of the neighboring duchies over a ruler that's dying without an heir.”

“Like the Lords councils in the Pern books?”

“Yes, but instead of deciding an heir, they're deciding what to do because there isn't one. So anyway Uncle Hector will be gone for a week, Dad and my aunt are running the country, and Mel is going, fuck this shit. I'm not getting involved.” The others snicker in the morgue. “The problem is the fool was an old fool who didn't like newfangled ideas and did nothing to bring money into his country. There's no money in the Treasury, no way to make money for the Treasury without bringing in big businesses, there's nothing there to bring in tourists. . . Even if there was anybody willing to take over the country it will be an uphill battle.”

“Agriculture?”

“No commercial farms to bring in the money and anything the small farmers grew extra to sell would be a drop in the bucket. They could use the extra money and it wouldn't be fair to make them hand it over.”

“Not to mention it would only be sold locally.” Amidala nods. “The only way I can see anything happening is if they plant fields of cash crops and hire the locals to tend them. After paying the locals, the extra would go in the treasury after making loan payments. But that would take years. And you'd need somebody actually in charge of the country.”

“I'd say a team of people in charge of the country.” Ducky says. “Do you see them annexing the country?”

“Not Danbury Estates, it's nowhere near our borders. The problem with that is they also have all those new citizens they need to take care of now.” The others nod. Amidala sighs. “Something we will need to deal with when we bring out communities.” The others nod again. “So anyway, aside from that the Embassy is looking at buying a candy shop in town since it's going up for sale thanks to less profits this year.” The others sigh but nod. “And they still haven't been able to tell us what kind of winter we'll have this year.”

“Nope, everybody is waving their hands in I don't know gestures and hoping for the best while people who are living through this are preparing for the worst.” Kasie sighs. “I have an electric snowblower and shovels, I can learn how to clean my driveway and the path to the door. . .” Tim nods in agreement. “Second year for me but I showed Kasie the ropes of how to run the snowblower and shovel without hurting yourself.”

Amidala yawns when she walks out of the building, it's spitting rain and snow mixed and she sighs as she gets in the car and flies back to the Embassy. The shields go up as soon as she lands and everybody walks into the hotel.

“Are you fucking stupid?” Hector sneers in the meeting room. “You want a billion dollar loan from each of us but you have no repayment schedule or interest plan? How do you plan on repaying that money?”

“Ummm,” the man looks around at the others who are giving him disgusted looks. “Really, what the hell did you think would happen? We're not here out of the kindness of our hearts. Either come up with a real plan to turn the country around or don't. We've got out own countries do think about.”

“We can print more money?” He whimpers.

“Not a fix. Your currency is useless on the world market. And nearly as useless in your own country thanks to inflation.”

“But why won't you give us the money?”

“Because we want assurances you can repay it. Nitwit. We're not here to bail your country out because that fool listened to his butt buddies and let everything fall into ruin.” Hector says in disgust. The blubbering fool looks at the others in the room and runs off wailing. “Moron.”

“How is Amidala doing? Is she still working as a file clerk?”

“Yes, we really don't need an Embassy or Ambassador but the previous President whimpered it didn't look right dealing with a private citizen. They have recycling coming in daily from all over the United States as agencies keep finding boxes of old files that were just shoved everywhere in warehouses. She's looking at decades of steady work scanning them onto the servers just from the agency where she's working,”

The others shake their heads or hiss in dismay. “Yes, and they're looking at daily shipments of recycling for another three or four years as cities all over the country clean out their own messes of old files. They had to add a second area for the full crystals and are looking at doing it again because agencies like where she's working put files from before a certain date on the servers every ten years. That starts next year, it usually takes about three years to do all of them.”

The others sigh. The man runs in again and they give him a 'are you serious' look when he blubbers that do they really have to pay the money back? He runs off sobbing again. “Jesus, if this is the best and brightest they have to offer in the government, they might just as well pack their bags and go home.”

“Fuck you, little boy, we get more money than that from the funds just sitting in the bank.” Hector snorts when the little fool runs in a third time with a lowball amount. “This is the interest that you'd be paying on a 7, 15, or 30 year loan. To each of us.” He had gotten online and hands over the figures. The man runs off screaming.

“No, you're not going back in there you little shit.” A guard says in disgust. “First you came flouncing in there demanding a billion dollars from each of their countries with no idea how you'd repay that.money, then blubbered that did you have to repay it, now accused them of fraud by showing you figures what kind of interest you'd be paying? Fuck no I'm not letting you bother them again.”

“But. . .but don't they have to help us?”

“No moron, they don't. They're here to give their regards to the idiot dying down the hall. They don't owe us a damn thing. He destroyed our economy by being a pigheaded idiot and you're acting the same way.”

Hector drops into a chair in his private office and closes his eyes.

“That bad?” Aaron asks, pouring him a drink.

“Damn fool thought he was so smart wanting a billion dollars from each of us. Didn't have a way to repay the loans the first time he asked. Second time was 'do we really have to pay back the money', third time ran off blubbering when he realized we'd done a little looking online and how much money they'd be paying monthly just in interest. The guards kept him from running in a fourth time, one of us would have kicked the fool in the ass.”

“Did he die?”

“Yes, and a group of economists and others from various universities are trying to run the country until things settle down. The economy is shot, they have no treasury, the fool was wailing they could print more money but it's worthless now even in their own country. . .Not my problem thank you god.”

Mel comes over from the Embassy a few minutes later, hugging her father twice. “Once from me and once from Amidala.”

“How is she?”

“Punched out one of the fools whining about how having a employee only working on the old files is making his agency look bad. Buying a candy store in the town by the hotel since they lost money on the miserable weather they had this year.”

“Mel's back home.” Amidala tells Jimmy the following Tuesday. “The old fool died Saturday. Right now there's groups from universities running the country. She went back that night and came back yesterday for a few hours to go over some things. Said some damn fool wanted a billion dollars from each of the dukes at the council, eight in all, but didn't have a way to repay the money except printing more money. Which is worthless now.” Ducky says a country name and Amidala nods. “I didn't realize it was a Duchy or that he'd died.”

“I'd be surprised if you had.” Amidala says, rolling her eyes. “It's only the news that we have a space program that made people realize Danbury Estates is a country. And we're a lot better off than some of the others.

“The little fool ran in again and ran off again when he realized they wanted that money paid back.” Kasie moans as McGee swears. “Idiot.” Gibbs says sourly.

“Oh yes, and some of those countries do not have that kind of money to throw away. The third time Uncle Hector was prepared and showed him what kind of money he'd be paying monthly for a seven, fifteen, or thirty year loan. Per country.”

“Christ.” Jimmy can just imagine that kind of payment times eight.

“Indeed. Little fool thought this would make him the MAN in the government and they'd put him on the throne while chanting his name in supplication. I understand none of the groups working on fixing the country wanted him working with them.” McGee snickers despite himself.

Kasie looks at the check she'd just wrote for the payment towards her loan from the embassy and enters the amount in her money program, handing it to Amidala and getting a receipt back the following day. Tim and Jimmy had already paid her and everything was on track for all three of them.

 “Any plans for this weekend? Because I have some stuff I'd like to pass along in preparation for moving. Stuff on canning, gardening. . .” The others nod. They're officially off but on call in case something happens.

“Amidala, we got another business in town that is up for sale. The mayor came out personally to beg us to save it.”

Amidala sighs. “Which one? Christ, we're going to end up owning the entire town some day.” The others snigger around her.

“Laundry, the building needs work and the machines are old. They're still running good, but they're gonna need replacing in a few years.”

Amidala sighs. “How much?”

“Only ten thousand.”

“No fucking way.”

“Yes, they really want to get it off their hands. The owner died last year and the town took it over because they needed to keep it open for the residents.”

Amidala sighs. “Okay, say yes after we have maintenance look everything over. See if the roof needs to be tore off or a new roof can be put over the top.” See how bad the machines really are and get business over everything to see what the costs of running the operation is and the cost of supplies, including electrical and water before we say yes or no.”

“Already done, they really want to get out from under them.” Monica says, patting the folder in front of her. “Looked over by three different people, both in town and here. Three different estimates to get the new roof put on. A copy of the latest orders for supplies. . . The roof was the last straw. They could eke by on the machines, it's cheaper for people to bring their own laundry supplies. . .”

“Buy it, have the roof replaced. Put in an order for the supplies and add it to a replicator. As for the machines, slowly switch them out a bank of machines at a time if they need it.”

The phone rings and Monica answers it. “Danbury Estates Embassy, yes Mayor Watson, we were just talking about it. Oh. . . really, sucks to be them then. They're gonna learn it's not perfume and roses.” She ends the call. “The damn fool who wanted the drive-in theater, he's demanding that he be sold the laundry.”

“Sucks to be him then, he's gonna be out the cost of the roof, the cost of the new machines, the cost of supplies. . .”

“Yes, the moron thought he was getting one over on us until he realized the mayor had begged us to buy it because it needed so much work.”

The wailing is all over the local news the next few days about how he'd been tricked and everybody laughs at the old fool, telling him if he hadn't been sticking his nose where it didn't belong none of this would have happened.

“But I didn't know the town had basically begged them to buy it.” He wails in his home. “I mean, they brought the drive-in theater, they brought the candy store, they brought the delivery service, they brought the second-hand electronics and repair store.”

“They created the delivery service, that's something else the mayor asked them to do because none of the apps deliver out here. They also opened the second-hand electronics and repair store.”

“They. . .they did?” He sobs. Literally sobs.

“Yes, moron, they did. Unlike your attempts to be somebody, they make plans and actually know what they're doing.”

“But they lord it all over town. . .”

“They do not, you damn fool. The only person trying to lord it over people is you. And failing miserably.” His grandson says in disgust. “I pray to god the judge believes me when I say you're a goddamn fool who pulled this shit before and voids the contract because otherwise I gotta find the money to replace the roof and everything else. That's money we don't have.”

“But I didn't know it was in such bad shape.” he howls.

“And that's why I'm asking the agreement to buy the laundry be canceled your honor Obviously my grandfather is a goddamn fool just trying to make himself the man in town. He tried this nonsense earlier this year when the Embassy brought the drive-in theater outside town and didn't demolish it like he would have. Oh no, they fixed it up and they were still able to open weekends.”

“Do you have the money for the purchase price, supplies, repairs needed, and replacing the fixtures?”

“No your honor. The purchase price yes. The rest of that. . .no.”

“I'm ordering the agreement declared null and void. And Mr. Jameson, I seriously suggest you keep your grandfather from trying this again.”

“Oh, I will your honor. We told him not to pull this nonsense the last time, he didn't realize that the drive-in theater was out in the middle of nowhere and that there's nothing out there that would bring in people to the apartments he wanted to build. He was sure that if he built apartments kids would leave their homes to fill them.”'

“There are apartments and homes sitting empty all over town.” the judge sighs as the bailiff moans.

“Yes, multiple generations of families are living together because that's the only way they can keep a roof over their heads with the cost of living so high.” The judge nods.

“Mayor Watson.” Monica says when security ushers him into the building.

“Is Ambassador Amderson here? I know I should have called ahead but I just got back from the court case with that fool's grandson.”

“No, I'm sorry, she's at work at NCIS for a few more hours. How did it go? I have to feel sorry for his family. Not him, but everybody who has to deal with his nonsense.”

“The judge agreed with his grandson's request to stop the agreement, Everybody in town knows he's a damn fool and not to do business with him. But that leaves the laundry in limbo. I can understand you not wanting to be involved in the mess. . .” he looks hopeful a moment and sighs at her shake of the head. “No, but we can loan you the money for the new roof and machines.” She gets on the computer and prints out some paperwork Mayor Watson looks over and says he'll talk to the accountants about. “Thank you Ms. Colton, and please thank Ambassador Amderson for me. She's done more for the town in a couple years than that fool did his entire life.”

Kasie is looking through some of the information that Amidala had passed out the previous weekend. “How hard would it be to set up a home hydroponics area, I know there's stores all over.”

“Not that hard, you're looking at a single tank for private use.” Ducky says. “This will allow you to experiment with different plants.”

“Does the hotel have a hydroponics. . .?”

“Yes, it was updated a couple years ago. It went from one room to three and I suspect it will be getting larger in the future. I suggest that if you do get a hydroponics unit, invest in some additional solar panels because the power usage is excessive and somebody will notice.”

“Yes, that's how some drug houses were found in the old days, they looked at the power usage.” Tony says. Amidala's phone rings and she answers it. “Yes?” She listens for a few minutes. “Okay, go ahead and print the check. We're using the laundry as collateral for the loan?” She ends the call a few minutes later, finding everybody looking at her. “Remember that fool who wanted to buy the drive-in theater?” She asks Jimmy.

“Fantasy dick size?”

“Yes, him.”

“For those of us not in on the joke?” Gibbs asks dryly.

“Okay, earlier this year I got a request from the others at the Embassy to buy the drive-in theater outside town. With the weather being so poor this year they couldn't open on tine and the former owner was getting old. It didn't need that much work, it would be done during the week and still open weekends.” The others nod. “This old fool wailed that I had 'stolen' the land from him, he was upset to learn the business was still in operation and nobody had lost their jobs. Going out to the land he realized it wasn't big enough for the apartment buildings he wanted to build and sulked because there was nothing out to bring people to the area if he did build. He thought people would come flocking to them because he built them, not knowing that with the damn cost of living so high in the area because people have to travel to work people are still working in their sixties and entire generations are living under one roof.”

“The days of a young person moving out into their own apartment after college is long gone I'm afraid.” Ducky says. The others nod. “Anyway a few weeks ago I got asked by the mayor to buy the laundry in town. They took it over after the owner died and kept it running because so many people need it. But it needs a new roof, the machines are going to have to be replaced in a few years. . . I wasn't sure about it but they had a complete cost breakdown. They really wanted out from under it.”

“And he went on the attack?”

“Oh yes, he snapped it away from me crowing about it before he realized the town was the one who wanted me to buy it and it needed so much work. His grandson petitioned the court to get the agreement canceled because he's a damn fool. Mayor Watson asked if Monica if I was still interested and she said no, but we'd be willing to loan them the money for what needed done.”

“Which is why your office manager just called.”

Amidala nods, then yawns. “Oh gods, rain or snow just make up your mind so I'm not yawning all day.” She says. The others laugh but nod. “At least next week is Thanksgiving and you'll be off that week so if the weather does make you sleepy, you can.” Ducky chuckles, patting her shoulder. “How is that other country doing?”

“They're working on plans to start bringing it around. Good, solid plans. Not the fantasies that fool was thinking of but real work. They're talking about a few fields of crops that can be sold commercially. Bringing in a couple of businesses that can sell. . . It will be a few decades but with good planning they'll be able to turn everything around.”

“Then go ahead and die, you miserable old fool.” His grandson yells as the old man continues to blubber about he didn't know the business had been in such bad shape. “You had no damn business getting involved in a private matter. You just thought you were such hot shit everybody should bow down and kiss your ass for existing. Well guess what, nobody does. Everybody wants to kick your ass for being an annoying fool.”

“But you didn't have to fucking get that contract canceled.” He wails.

“Yes I did Moron, we don't have the money for the new roof, the other repairs, and everything else. You just saw money coming in, not money going out. Why the hell did you think the town wanted to sell it? Because they were losing money keeping it open.”

“But I didn't want them to buy it.”

“Guess what moron, they didn't. Not after your little stunt. The town still owns the laundry and had to borrow money to do the needed repairs and replace the machines in a few years. Their budget is going to be taking a hit for decades.”

He stares at his grandson and screeches louder. “Oh shut up, you fucking moron.” His son says in disgust.

“But I didn't know it needed so much work. We could have done it, right?”

“No asshole, we had the money for the purchase and nothing else. We'd have had to borrow the money for the repairs too.”

“But I didn't know it needed so much work. They cheated me.”

“Nobody cheated you, you fucking moron. Because you stuck your damn nose in something that didn't concern you.”

“But the Embassy never invites me to their lavish parties, I have to punish them for that.”

“Lavish parties? I'd ask if you're goddamn stupid but you just proved it. No, they don't throw lavish parties. Even if they did, what the fuck makes you think you're so goddamn special to get an invite?”

“They don't?” He screeches.

“No moron, they don't. Unlike you they work for a living and don't feel the need to lord it over everybody.” He runs off sobbing. “Fucking moron.”

“Are, are you sure we wouldn't have the money to buy the laundry, do all the necessary repairs, and run it?” He asks his son a couple days later.

“Yes, we're sure we don't have the money for all that. The cost of the laundry was only ten thousand yes, but it would cost another ten thousand to put on the new roof, inspect all the appliances, a new damn industrial hot water heater would need to be special ordered and that's at least another ten thousand dollars. . .” His son gives him a breakdown of all the repairs needed. “No, we don't have the money for all that and we don't have the collateral for a business loan.”

“What about your mother's money?”

“She left it to the grandchildren because she knew you were a damn fool who'd go through it without thinking about anybody else. They used part of it for their tuition and invested the rest for their own kids education. Between that and working they managed to go through school without loans.”

He runs off sobbing again. “Fucking moron. Quit trying to make yourself more important than you are, nobody believes your shit and we're all tired of it. You want money, get a job Mr. I'm the real Anthony DiNozzo.” He stares at him in stunned amazement and then horror.

“What, you didn't think we'd find out about your other little life?” His son asks in disgust. “Get the fuck over it. You're not that damn smart. We've been in contact with Agent DiNozzo for years and with the proper help got his inheritance returned to him, plus interest.”

He runs off sobbing.

“Moron.” He gets on the phone, dialing a series of numbers. “Tony. . .ohhh, Agent Dorneget. Please tell Tony that it's Edward and that our father knows we know all about his double life. Oh, he's on break and will call me back. Yes, I'll be here all day.

“Oh really?” Tony purrs as he returns to the bullpen after their morning break and returns his half-brother's call. “What brought this on?”

“Our idiot father tried buying a laundry. . .” He pauses at the sound of spluttering on the other end of the line. “That was him? I was just with Ambassador Amderson.”

“Oh fuck, you're kidding me.”

“Your son had to go to court to get the agreement overturned? He tried trying to get the land that's a Drive-in Theater then wailed when he realized there was nothing out there that would bring people flocking to the apartments he built? He didn't know half the apartments and houses in town are empty because people can't afford to keep a roof over their head with the high cost of living?”

Edward begins laughing at his desk. “She told you?”

“A coworker overheard her complaining about monuments to fantasy dick sizes.”

“Yeah, that's Dad.” He sighs. “I understand he tried getting hold of you while you were traveling for a year for your job?”

“Yeah, I'm sure he was heartbroken I wasn't there and he couldn't get money from me. Or the others.”

Tony looks at Amidala sadly at lunch. She gives him a look. “What?”

“That old fool with the drive-in theater and laundry? It's Senior.” The others splutter, thanking god nobody was eating or drinking yet. “Wha? How? Why?” Gibbs asks as Amidala looks at him.

“He was married to Edward's mother and dropped out of sight when he was four or five she divorced him on grounds of desertion. He changed his name, either here or there I'm not sure which and married Mom as a DiNozzo. After Mom died and I was off to boarding school he tried getting back in with the family and has been using both of us for years. The only difference is he lives with them now under that other name.”

“How did you meet?”

“His grandson got nosy and wondered why the hell he was renting a vehicle at an airport in DC after leaving his own vehicle in long term parking. He pounded on my door after Dad left, supposedly to catch a flight back and I opened the door. He looked at me and started swearing since I look just like the rest of the family. I just raised one eyebrow, showed him my federal id when he asked which of Dad's floozies was my mother, and ushered him into the apartment. He made a call and a couple hours later the others arrived to help us figure out what the hell was going on.”

“Christ. When was this?”

“You were off on 'vacation' in Mexico, McGee was I'm too damn good to listen to you even if you are my boss and showing up when he fucking felt like it. So was Ziva.”

“Ummm sorry.” McGee says quietly. Tony just gives him a look and he ducks his head. He'd been a stupid little shit back then. Letting Ziva destroy his career without a thought. Tony and Gibbs both give him a harsh look and he ducks back into himself.

“You and the rest of the family must have got your brains from your mothers.”

“I can't say that, mine was a damn lush.” Tony snorts. “And the rest of the Paddingtons didn't fare much better the last few generations.”

Tony's phone rings and he answers it, walking out into the other room. “That was the police, Senior just tried showing up to my old apartment building. He. . .he. . .he didn't realize I'd moved out years ago. He was arrested for trespassing.”

“Does he know where you live now?”

“Nope, and even if he did security wouldn't let him in. I made damn good and sure that bastard was on the 'never approved to visit me' list.”

“Is that one of the reasons you chose to live in another apartment rather than a house?”

“Yeah, I don't trust the bastard more than I can throw him. Unless I had a home under surveillance 24/7, he could sneak in. A secured complex, he can't.” His phone rings again and he takes the call, his face growing paler. Gibbs grabs the phone and demands to know what's going on, his own face growing pale as Jimmy and Ducky get Tony to a chair.

“What's the matter?”

“Phone, gimme. I gotta call Edward before the police do.” Tony says. “Senior was shot by the owner of my old apartment, he tried breaking in after running from the police because he didn't believe I had moved.”

“Give it here.” Amidala grabs the phone. “Edward Jameson?” She asks, looking through the contacts.

“Yes.”

She presses the call icon and the phone is picked up on the third ring. “Hello, Is this Edward? It's Ambassador Amderson. I have some bad. . .no, Tony is okay. But it's your father.”

“Oh god, is he okay?” Edward asks in the office. “Everybody, get in here.” He bellows, holding the phone to his chest. “I'm sorry Ambassador. . . Oh Christ, I knew the old fool was stupid but not that he'd try something like that.” He says as everybody rushes into his office. “What's the matter?”

“Dad tried getting into Tony's old apartment, he didn't believe the new owners when they said he had moved years ago.”

“He's gone?” Edward knows it, somebody else wouldn't be calling if he was still alive. But he has to make sure.

“Yes, he's gone. Tony just got the call. The police are going to be calling him back so I need to keep this short.”

“I can be in DC in an hour. Shit, with his two identities this is going to be a mess.”

“He can be in DC in an hour.”

Tony takes the phone and they talk for a few minutes as Jimmy is on the house phone. Director Vance comes down a few minutes later. “Take the rest of this week and all next week off. I'd say I'm sorry for your loss but the fool had to have known you had moved.”

“It seems that Senior is the old fool from out where I live who was wailing that he didn't know the laundry needed so much work when he swooped in and brought it out from under me.” Amidala says quietly. “He was using one name there and another name here.”

“Well, he always was a con artist.” Director Vance says sourly. “Call if you need help managing everything DiNozzo.”

Everybody stares at her in disbelief when she tells them what happened back at the hotel. “Oh gods, what a mess. The mayor is there going over the details with her finance guy and the town's accountant and he moans. “I always knew he was a fool but not an actual crook.” he sighs.

“I'm sure he thought if he could just 'talk' to his son he could make this all go away.” the town's accountant snorts.

“And get money to show everybody in town he was the man.” Mayor Watson says, rolling his eyes.

“Of course. From what Tony has not quite said, that was his character.” Amidala sighs.

A week later Tony is flocked by his brother's family and his friends from NCIS who said they were there for him, not to pay any respects to Senior when he is finally laid to rest.

“He charmed all of us.” McGee tries to explain why they'd believed Senior over Tony.

“Yeah, that was his stock in trade. Charm you out of your money.” Tony sighs as they settle around tables in a local church for an after burial lunch.

“Did you ever find out which identity was the real one?”

“Neither of them as far as we can tell.” Edward says. DiNozzo nods. “Director Vance gave all the information we had to the fraud unit to investigate in their spare time. Just for our own peace of mind in case another family comes forward with their hands out for money the old fool just didn't have.”

“Wasn't DiNozzo transportation an old family business?”

“Yes, but we're not sure whether he was a real DiNozzo or not, there's no DNA matches in the databases.”

“Genealogy? Ancestry dot com or 23 and me?” Kasie asks quietly.

“Already in the system there and so far no matches there either. Senior was never one for journals or keeping a diary, probably so he didn't have to keep separate ones or in case he incriminated himself.”

“Tony, didn't you have an uncle from the DiNozzo side?” Gibbs asks.

“Yeah, but he died years ago. Before my mom did. Supposedly it was a bad crash and he was burned up in the accident before they could get to him. We're not sure if he was a DiNozzo either because Edward was talking about a friend of his father's that also disappeared when he did and I was able to find a copy of a newspaper article with his picture.”

“Didn't you say you had gotten your inheritance when we met?” Amidala asks quietly.

“Yeah, Edward helped me. We think it was to keep him from going through it like he wanted. And to keep my mom from running through it. Uncle Clive was not happy, he was banking on that money to rescue his ass from Crispin's latest damn fool stunt.”