A/N: Yes, though this probably well-might never be published, I'm so excited that whatever was wrong with the system earlier today is over with! Now I'm gonna see if I can make a story out of this idea. All I can say is that this 'whatever' is almost completely AU. Like I could put anyone's random names on these characters right now.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own NCIS
"Director..."
"Director..."
"Yes?"
"Yes?"
"You have a conference call in MTAC."
"You have a conference call in MTAC."
"Who?"
"Who?"
"NCIS Director..."
"FBI Director..."
"...Shepard."
"...Gibbs."
Jenny sighed, and rubbed away at her temples, desperately trying to get rid of an impending headache. And...to put off the inevitable.
Dealing with the FBI.
Grant it in her one year of being in the Director's office, dealing with the FBI had never been as horrible as it could've-should've been. It might've been because for the past twelve months or so, she'd only had to deal with FBI Assistant Director Vance. Now though, word on the 'Hill' was that the Big Boss was back in business over at the Bureau.
Yep, the infamously mysterious Director Gibbs was back in the Hoover building after a stint of sorting out affairs on the west coast.
Or, again, that's what she'd heard. In this business you quickly learned that word of mouth was never that reliable.
Still, apparently, he was back in the big office and the recent case of the serial killer that had murdered a Petty Officer had brought the FBI back into their territory once more. Though to be fair it was more like NCIS had been brought into the FBI's territory, considering it was the MCRT led by Anthony DiNozzo that had gotten the case. Which she should've known was going to cause all sorts of trouble.
Their serial killer-who was in the wind-had ten confirmed victims to his name. Including their Petty Officer, and a FBI probationary agent. So it was safe to say that neither FBI Agent Tobias Fornell's team or Anthony DiNozzo's was going to give up the case that easily.
Which made it an issue for the adults to handle.
After a minute of procrastination, and another world weary sigh, she finally got up from her chair. Grabbing her briefcase, she exited her office, made her way through Cynthia's area, and out onto the catwalk.
A mask of professionalism steadily washing over her.
In less time than she would've liked, she was standing in the dark room in front of the blank large screen. The computer technician to her left signaled that the connection would go through in thirty seconds.
She tugged on her blouse, smoothed her skirt, and straightened her hair.
It was time to see what this Director Gibbs was made of.
"C'mon on Di-rec-torrrrrrr, you know you gotta go."
Gibbs glared across his desk at the scraggly man sitting on the other side.
Less than two hours ago was when he'd finally stepped foot back in DC. After a full year over in multiple office's on the west coast-and some short trips over to Europe, in order to sort out some minor messes involving suspicious circumstances. All he was ready to do was go to his own home, drink his own bourbon, and sand his boat.
Or maybe fire his Assistant Director and not have to worry anymore about whether or not he was going to be shot in the back walking from the elevator to his office.
Still, during his last week of being in L.A. along with the knowledge that he would be going home soon, came a sudden burst of inspiration. That sudden burst of maybe not so sober inspiration had led to him calling up an old friend, and convincing him that it was his turn to come leave his country to visit him.
So, here he was glaring at retired FBI agent, along with his former mentor, Michael-Mike Franks.
But, instead of getting to go out to one of their favorite bars. And watch Mike utterly fail at picking up a woman half his age, now he was being called into a conference call with the new NCIS Director.
The new female NCIS Director.
This was something he'd been dreading. So far, he'd managed to brush off all relations with NCIS to Leon. But now that word had gotten out that he was back in town. There was no way in hell he'd be able to get out of it.
Of course, the on the run serial killer wasn't helping anything.
To be fair, he could of still delayed any interactions with the new Director. But, that damned serial killer had taken down a probationary agent named Sacks, and he'd heard the new suit-scratch that-skirt on the Hill was a real hard ass. Trying to get over the preprogrammed sexist attitude most political figures came ingrained with in the modern day. So if the reputation she'd already started to build for herself was anything to go by, then she would have no problem making Leon rollover and give her anything she wanted.
Which would be to shove the FBI out of the case completely, all because one Petty Officer had been murdered. While eight civilians had been murdered, agent Sacks had lost his life, and the killer had crossed state lines at least twice.
There was no way in hell the FBI was getting pushed out of this case.
So with a groan of acquiesce he threw his legs off his desk, and heaved his tired body out of his far too comfortable chair. Trudging out of his office like a child being told it was bedtime, he ignored the amused chuckle from behind him as he made his way through the plexi-glass corridors of the Hoover building. On his way to the FBI equivalent of NCIS's MTAC.
Passing the retinal scan, he left the door ajar and entered the giant theater-esque room. He heard Mike make his way into the room shutting the heavy door behind him, and plopping his scrawny butt into one of the seats in the back of the room.
A technician to his right signaled that the connection was about to go through.
Both screens filtered to life, the Director of NCIS on one side, and the Director of the FBI on the other.
"Director Gibbs, I presume." Jenny greeted the man on the other side formally, doing well to hide her shock. It was just that-well-looking at this man that greeted her, he wasn't what she had expected.
Director Gibbs had a reputation for avoiding the spotlight, and sending his subordinates to do the camera appearances. Instead she'd learned from certain snide men politicians that he'd had a reputation for focusing on his operations, and not when the next budget meeting was going to be.
'Must be refreshing,' Jenny remembered thinking when she'd gleaned that tidbit of information, only six months into her directorship. So, with the lack in solid information about this mysterious director (only snide remarks from men, and whispered rumors from inebriated women). It was only natural for her to be shocked at his appearance.
She'd expected something along the lines of; a short, pale, skinny man. With oily black hair, a mustache, wearing a tweed suit with leather elbow patches, and sitting behind a desk with a U.S.A flag on it.
Not a; six-foot something, tan, muscular man. With salt-n-pepper hair that was more salt than pepper, light stubble, wearing dark jeans with a black polo, and standing in a room that looked identical to the one she was currently standing in.
"Director Shepard," he greeted back politely in a deep, gravely, baritone.
For the first time, in a long time she felt something akin to tingles go through her. Tingles that she related to something forbidden, especially in the situation she was in now.
"Something wrong, Mrs. Shepard?" He questioned nicely, the woman on the screen looked lost in her own thoughts. Something which even he could tell was unusual for her.
She practically oozed uptightness.
"Um, nothing. My apologies, you just weren't what I was expecting. And it's Ms. Shepard, but you can call me Jennifer. Most everyone does." Stuttering the most that Jennifer Shepard could ever manage to stutter, she explained the name situation a little reluctantly. Surely he knew that she wasn't married. Was this some sort of mind game? Was he trying to taunt her with how young she was? Or the fact that she was a woman?
When did she start wondering if a simple slip-up was a move to undermine her authority?
"What...were you expecting, Jennifer?" Not being able to resist the opportunity arising before him. He cocked an eyebrow, and looked at her expectantly while he waited for her answer.
It wasn't like he couldn't understand where she was coming from.
Sure he'd seen tabloid photos in LA of the new Director. He knew that she was petite, had red hair, green eyes, and was very pretty. But, what he couldn't tell from a photo; was that her hair was a blood shade of red, and her eyes were a bright shade of emerald.
From a photo he could tell that she was pretty, but in person (or as much as this could be counted as in person) it was his personal opinion that she was gorgeous.
And she was gorgeous, her red hair was tied up in a bun exposing a slender neck (that he was almost positive was a milky white). There was one extra button undone on her blouse that she most likely didn't realize. And the strappy stilettoes he could just make out, made her legs look miles long.
"Damn, Probie you didn't tell me she was a she," he heard Mike's low comment followed by an extremely inappropriate wolf whistle from the back of the room, and clenched his eyes tightly shut. Hoping and praying that the newest female Director hadn't heard, and wasn't already planning on sending a sexual harassment suit his way. Because, of course, he was going to tell his chauvinistic boss that there was a woman Director over NCIS now.
Saved from answering at the moment by a comment from a shadowy figure in the back of the FBI's room. Jenny placed her hands on her hips and leaned forward a little. Her head cocked to the side 'Probie'? As in probationary agent?
"Dammit Mike. If you'd step out of that shack and think about life outside of Baja for a moment. Then you might know that we've progressed to the 21st century in your absence," She heard Director Gibbs hiss, as he twisted so the other voice that she deemed to be a man's, may hear him.
She cleared her throat loftily, already planning on how she'd get NCIS custody on this case.
"Excuse me...Probie? Or is it Mr. Gibbs?" In a patronizing tone, she asked him. He turned back to the screen with a murderous look on his face, and she heard snickering from the other side. Snickering that wasn't coming from Gibbs.
"And...if there's a psychotic murderer stowing away in the back of the room, pressing a gun to your head. Then blink twice."
"First of all," he growled, taking a step forward, raising up a large hand he started ticking fingers off. "It's Gibbs. Don't call me Mr., or sir. I work for a living."
"And second, that 'psychotic murderer' back there," he said jerking a thumb over his shoulder, "just goes by Mike."
The shadow dubbed 'Mike' leaned forward a little until she could see an older looking man. Who frankly looked on his deathbed, give a friendly little wave to her and what was suppose to be a flirtatious wink.
"Okayyyy then, Gibbs. I guess we should get down to business," sighing she relaxed her stance only slightly, readying herself for a politically right fight. While he adapted what loosely resembled an 'at ease' pose.
It made her wonder if he'd ever been military.
"So the serial killer-Abe Dunphrey, has now murdered; eight civilians, a FBI probationary agent, and-" she watched as he began ticking off facts from a case file that has mysteriously appeared in his hands.
"And a naval Petty Officer." Jenny finished for him smoothly, making a quick trip to the first row of seats where her own briefcase sat. And retrieving her own case file.
"It's clear that FBI should take the case."
"It's clear that NCIS should take the case."
They each said at the same time; Gibbs in favor of the FBI, and Jenny for NCIS. After they both realized that they'd spoken over each other, two shocked faces took residence along with a cackling that Jenny assumed came from Mike.
"Excuse me?" Jenny asked him in a warning tone, and if it had been any other person. An agent, another director, senator, congressman, or even the President would've bowed to that tone.
But, not Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He gave the warnings, not received them.
"Well, I think it's clear Jennifer that the FBI should be handed over full jurisdiction of the case," Gibbs said making sure to stress her name slightly. Making her feel like a fourteen year old taking a reprimand from her father.
She wasn't fourteen, she was almost in her forties and was a Director.
"You know what, I think we can go back to Ms. Shepard now." She sneered. "And I believe that it's very obvious that this case belongs to NCIS. Considering there's a dead Petty Officer among the victims."
"Hmmmmm, okay then Ms. Shepard." He clenched a fist at his side, and narrowed his eyes even more at the woman on the screen. "But, what you have to remember is that there is a dead FBI agent among the bodies in our morgue."
"Now, don't you think that would make this case a little too personal for the agent's at the Bureau?" She drawled sarcastically, trying to bait him.
"So, you're saying that NCIS-a very dedicated agency-doesn't take the death of a Naval officer personally as well?" He fired back, and without giving her a chance to say the retort that he just knew was on the tip of her tongue.
He continued with a, "and adding that there are two counts of crossing the state border. Along with eight civilians which do land in FBI territory, and I don't see how one Petty Officer beats all of...that."
If the smirk on his face was anything to go by. Then he knew that he'd won.
Internally she groaned, going into this she knew it was going to be a long shot. That the FBI had more and heavier claims to this case then they did, but still she figured she might as well try it. Plus, it wouldn't hurt her new career and reputation to win against the famed FBI Director.
When she hesitated too long, and his lack of sleep started to catch up to him. He groaned out loud, and with a serious look started to berate her!
"Listen, Jennifer I realize that you're relatively new. But, this case doesn't belong to NCIS. It's not even about the civilians or the border's anymore. It's about the fact that we lost an agent over here, and I don't know how you run things over there but I sure as hell am not about to let some other agency take over. When it's one of my own people that are dead. So I don't care that you're trying to make a reputation for yourself, but you damned well aren't getting this case!"
When he stopped he was panting slightly, and was quietly stunned. Those were more words than he'd heard come out of his mouth in a long time.
But Jenny was not amused, considering she had her eyebrows raised, eyes narrowed, and with the case file scrunched in one hand both of her hands were balled at her hips. And from the looks of it her jaw were doing some serious grinding too.
"Joint jurisdiction," she ground out between teeth that were clenched so tightly she thought they were about to shatter. This was her final offer, otherwise she'd fight him tooth and nail all the way up to the Big Brass.
More to get back at him for what he just said than to take the case.
Gibbs was frozen in place, simply staring at her in disbelief. Most...any woman would've screamed and lost her cool at him for that rant. But the woman on the screen in front of him, just glared right back. And then responded like any true politician would, with a compromise.
So with only a moment of deliberation, he answered right back.
"Fine."
"Wow, so is this what happens every time you go off to your fancy shmancy meetings?" Both of them heard Mike's voice rasp from the shadows. And Jenny really hated herself when she couldn't help but realize Gibbs actually was cute when he relaxed his posture, rolled his eyes, and said to Mike.
"One more word from you, and no more hot tub," Gibbs warned without even turning around, and Jenny herself rolled her eyes.
Crossing her arms across her chest tightly, she huffed out a little annoyed puff of air that moved her bangs out of her eyes. And failed to notice that Gibbs had turned his attention back on her, hence missing the awestruck look on his face.
Because Director Gibbs was struck once more by just how good looking Jennifer Shepard was.
Before he could put a lock on his mouth he was saying with a cocky smirk, "So would you like to go out for dinner with me sometime?"
When Jenny's brain registered those words, she turned her eyes back in disbelief to the screen in front of her. Distantly she heard the low 'Ohhhs' coming from the technicians to her left, and that only enraged her more.
"You honestly think I'm going to go out with you?! When you just berated me as if I were one of your agent's?!" She screeched at him, and felt perverse pleasure in the look of shock on his face.
Clearly this was a man who wasn't used to be turned down. Well, she would show him.
"Well, Gibbs?" She hissed mockingly.
"Oh, c'mon," he huffed in exasperation. "Coffee then? If you have such a big problem with dinner!"
She couldn't help the undignified snort that escaped her, nor the torrent of words that were about to escape her.
"You pig! You think I'm going to go out on a date with you that I'm sure you'd expect me to end on my back with my legs spread for you?! God," she spat in disgust.
"Well, bad news for you. It's a little harder to get me on my back, Gibbs. Goodbye you bastard," and with that dismissal she signaled for the technicians to cut the feed with a chopping motion.
The screen fizzled out and went black on the shocked face of the Director of the FBI, and the stranger named Mike's laughter cackling in the background.
Jenny sighed, and sat down in one of the seats in the front row. Her back was killing her from standing so stiffly. Reaching to rub the back of her neck, she couldn't help her pleased little grin.
She may not have made herself memorable by winning a case from the FBI, but she'd gotten joint jurisdiction. And it might've helped that she had just told off their formable director.
Even if it were at the risk of cutting off all allied ties with the Bureau...
This time her sigh was a little more weary, and she moved from rubbing her neck to her forehead. From now on maybe she'd just let DiNozzo and agent Fornell duke it out.
"Mike, shut the hell up," he growled at his former mentor. While the pest continued to laugh like a hyena from behind him. Not that he could blame him though. When he had the strangest urge to laugh himself.
After all, a woman had just rejected him. Not just rejected, but she had violently rejected him. It had been awhile since a woman had rejected him, and he honestly didn't know how to take it.
Because why would a woman reject him? He wasn't very conceited, but he had seen the way enough women looked at him to know that he was handsome. And as a director, he was well off financially. So why would a civilian woman reject him? Not to mention the fact that he was a well respected, powerful, known political man. Which would be an attractive prospect to any woman wishing to get her name out there, or to advance her career.
Yet, Jennifer Shepard the brand new first female director of an armed federal agency. Had just shot him down without a second thought.
"Come on Probie, ya got your work done. Let's go get some bourbon, and get your ass in a decent bed. You look like you haven't slept in weeks," Mike said from his position suddenly right beside him. He felt a bony hand clap on his shoulder, and start to lead him towards the exit. For the first time in a while Leroy Jethro Gibbs, let himself be led.
Out the door, down the hallways they went. A few of the older agent's calling out greetings to Mike as they passed, and a few of the braver ones calling out hello's to Gibbs.
Just when they were about to make it to the elevator docks, Gibbs remembered something. Ducking Mike's hand he ignored the questioning glance, and turned back to the hallway that held the entrances to the team offices.
"Hey Fornell," he called out, and a familiar face popped out from around a door frame on the right about three doors down.
"Yea?" Fornell asked, slightly hesitantly.
"The Dunphrey case is going to be joint with NCIS." Gibbs relayed back to his senior agent, and one of his best. He was just preparing his glare for the backlash he'd get for this, when the agent shocked the hell out of him.
"Alright," he accepted meekly, with just a roll of his eyes. Slightly suspicious of this different attitude, Gibbs turned back around with Mike in tow, and continued waiting for the elevator.
"Oh yea, Director," he heard Fornell call out again. As if he'd just remembered something.
"Hmmmmm," Gibbs signaled that he was listening without turning around.
"Who's got point?"
Gibbs thought for a moment, that wasn't something they'd decided on. Heck, just deciding that it was going to be a joint investigation had almost been too much for them.
"DiNozzzo's team is the one that's got it from their side, right?" He clarified.
"Yes," Fornell confirmed, wondering where is old friend was going with this.
Gibbs was busy thinking, or more like plotting. DiNozzo had worked with the FBI on multiple occasions, and so naturally Gibbs knew a little bit about him. Gibbs knew that he was a passionate young man, and could easily be provoked.
And with that simultaneously he heard the ding of the elevator's arrival, while a wicked thought entered his mind. An evil idea that wormed it's way into his brain, it was something that he could use to aggravate the new woman director over there just a little bit more than he already had.
After all he had to keep the newbie's on their toes, right?
"Hell, Tobias," he drawled stepping into the elevator with Mike by his side. "You two duke it out, and whoever's the last standing..." he left the statement open ended, the smirk on his face saying everything he hadn't.
The metal doors were sliding shut to obscure Tobias's grinning retreating form. When Gibbs stuck his hand out, "And Tobias?" He called.
Fornell stuck his head back out, an inquiring look on his face.
"You make sure every damn news agency watches it too."
"Director Shepard," her well meaning assistant found her in MTAC a few minutes later.
"Yes, Cynthia?" She said, sipping her cup of coffee and concentrating on the case file in her lap. After the conference call with Gibbs, and her short relaxation session she simply hadn't felt like moving. So making herself at home she had grabbed the Dunphrey file again (because she was determined not to be made a fool with how little she knew on the case), and started reading it more thoroughly for the fiftieth time.
"Agent DiNozzo needs to speak with you ma'am," Cynthia told her.
Glancing up over her red sparkly glasses, she eyed her secretary warily. She was exhausted from the overload of simple male testosterone that came from talking with Director Gibbs. She wasn't sure if she would be able to deal with anymore of it at the moment from agent DiNozzo when he learned that they had joint on the case.
But agent DiNozzo was just that, an agent. And to top it off he was her agent, and she was his boss. He wasn't the director of an agency that was technically higher up on the authority totem pole than NCIS.
She didn't have to take his crap.
"Send him in," she ordered and went back to reading her case file. Moments later she heard the thuds of the metallic door opening and shutting, and soft footsteps as DiNozzo made his way to her.
"Agent DiNozzo," she greeted without looking up.
"Director," he replied, choosing to stand slightly to the side of her rather than take the seat next to her. As if she were an annoying parasite, rather than simply his boss.
No one had simply sat beside her in awhile.
"Did you talk to the FBI, ma'am?" He asked politely.
"Yes I did, and you will conduct a shared investigation with I assume agent Fornell." She said coolly, and silence soon followed. Curious to see how he would react she glanced up from her lap, and wanted to laugh at what she saw.
It looked like DiNozzo was doing everything in his power to keep from going off on her. With his jaw clenched tightly, eyes narrowed, and fist's balled he looked as if he were dying to yell at her that it was all her fault. That if he hadn't had a weak woman director as a boss, then they would've gotten the case.
"Going into it, we both knew that it was a long-shot for us to even get joint. So, I suggest you be happy with what we've got," she spoke with a clear warning that he better not lose his cool with her.
"Besides," she added as an afterthought, "you shouldn't get so use to it. Because I highly doubt that in the future the FBI will be so willing to compromise." She said, thinking about the hotheaded words she'd spoken to Gibbs just moments ago.
Just thinking about it made her blood boil once more.
He still hadn't spoken, and it was beginning to annoy her. So, as a sign of clear dismissal she turned her attention back to her work. Only to be shocked when Tony spoke minutes later, "Who has point?" He interrogated.
'Interesting,' she thought. In all the berating and sarcasm, they'd forgotten to actually handle more details of the case. Making what should've been a half hour of intelligent first greetings and business, into fifteen minutes of...nothing.
Being diplomatic about it, she told him, "I'm sure yourself and agent Fornell ought to be able to work that out for yourselves."
Oh, if only she'd known then. That in less than a week her senior field agent would get into a fight with a senior field agent from the Bureau and have it broadcasted on multiple news channels.
If only she knew that one simple fist fight would change her life forever.
A/N: Should I continue this? I'm honestly torn about it. Though I'm pretty busy right now tweeking and making some decisions on Not Her. This is something I could update every few weeks or so.
If I continue this, it will turn to be rated M. Not right now of course, but in a few chapters. I'll change the rating for the story once and if it does.
Not gonna say don't like don't review. Just gonna say don't be cruel.
