Title: Uncharacteristic
Summary: An uncharacteristically quiet day wreaks havoc with Team Gibbs.
Disclaimer: NCIS is not mine. I'm just borrowing the concepts and characters for a little while.
Spoilers: Takes place in season 9. Anything up to and including episode, 9.06 Thirst, is fair game.
A/N: No beta so all mistakes are mine.
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Chapter One: Unnerved
(Wednesday – Ziva's POV)
It has been quiet all day. In any other place of work this would not have been very unusual, but for this bullpen to be quiet while Tony DiNozzo was in attendance, this was practically unheard of.
But, it was not just quiet; it was unnaturally quiet with an almost palpable amount of tension between Tony and Gibbs. And, for the life of me, I cannot figure out why. We have only been spending the day finishing up paperwork from our latest case and had been lucky enough to not get called out for a new one.
It should have been an easy, relaxed day with Tony doing his usual best to distract us from our work with movie references and practical jokes or the occasional wad of paper flying towards McGee's trashcan. But, there was none of that today.
Today Tony has been unnaturally quiet and unusually attentive to his work. I have never seen him act like this before – and it unnerves me to a degree. More than once I have caught glimpses of Tony glancing over at Gibbs' desk with a look that I cannot quite identify. And every once in a while, I have caught Gibbs giving Tony that same unidentifiable look in return.
If this day was unnerving me, then it was more than likely having a similar effect on McGee. At one point during the morning, McGee had sent me an email asking if I knew what was going on between their boss and Tony. After reading it, I look over at McGee and shake my head slightly before realizing I had more to say. I replied that I had no idea what was going on and asked if he knew anything that could help us figure it out. He did not know any more than I did, but I could tell from his expression that he was very unsettled.
It was at the end of this exchange that Tony suddenly stood up, opened his drawer to grab his weapon, wallet, and keys and announced:
"Goin' for coffee, Boss."
Gibbs' only reply was to take what was apparently the last sip of his current cup of coffee before throwing it away. As Tony leaves, I again catch Gibbs with that indecipherable look on his face.
The whole day was like that – the unnatural quiet, the surreptitious looks – and no matter what I tried, I could not figure out what, if anything was going on.
Then, at exactly 1700 hours – it happened.
Tony's phone begins to ring. And before it could ring a second time, he picks up the receiver. I glance over at Gibbs to see that he is watching DiNozzo's every move. And by the time I look back at Tony, he has already returned the phone back to its cradle.
Tony then looks up from his phone with a completely blank expression. A moment later, he looks over at Gibbs, lifts his chin and jerks his head back a bit. Gibbs nods once and Tony stands up from his desk. He straightens his tie then turns and walks towards the stairs.
Suddenly I knew what the call meant – Tony had been called up to the director's office. Glancing over at McGee, I could see that he was openly curious about Tony's call and what was going on. I was about to ask Gibbs when he quietly orders:
"Back to work."
My mind went into overdrive trying to determine why Tony would be called up to Director Vance's office. Some sort of assignment? Undercover assignment? Re-assignment? Reprimand? Firing? There were too many possibilities and given Tony and Vance's rocky working relationship over the years plus everything that has happened in the last few months, any of those options seemed completely viable.
I steal another look towards our boss. He seems to not be at all worried about this meeting. But, then again, it was Gibbs and he could be having a nervous breakdown and no one would be able to tell the difference.
Less than twenty minutes later, I look up to see Tony quietly making his way across the landing to the stairs. I then look over at McGee and notice he is openly staring at Gibbs. By the time I shift my gaze, Gibbs is shutting his cell phone.
I quickly emailed McGee one word – Who? As I was hitting send, Tony was just starting to sit back down in his chair. That was when I observed the envelope in his suit pocket – an envelope that had not been there before he had gone to see Vance.
For a split second, he had an expression akin to relief on his face before it once again became the blank mask he had been displaying for most of the day. His eyes briefly flicked over to Gibbs before suddenly locking onto mine. I am at a loss to interpret his expression, but it makes me feel uncomfortable, so I break eye contact.
About thirty seconds later, an email came from McGee with one word: Ducky.
Ducky? Why would Gibbs call Ducky after Tony got back from seeing Vance?
Maybe I have it all wrong. Maybe Tony was quitting because he is terminally ill? Immediately I decide to not dwell on that possibility for even one second longer.
I was definitely getting frustrated now. What was going on? This whole day had been like something out of that old black and white television show I had watched one night with Abby and Tony – Twilight…Hour? Area? No, that is not right. Ah, yes, I remember – Twilight Zone. It was like something straight from the Twilight Zone, and the only clues I have to figuring it all out were the strange behaviors of Gibbs and especially my partner.
I slam my hand down on my desktop in frustration. My decision was made. Next time Tony goes to the bathroom, I will corner him and demand to know what was going on!
I barely finish that thought when Gibbs' voice cuts through the quiet:
"Alright everyone, go home."
Tony immediately opens his drawer to grab his weapon and other things before reaching over to grab his backpack. As he straightens, I hear Gibbs quietly state:
"Not you, Tony."
Tony? Gibbs never calls him Tony…
I start to wonder if there really was a Twilight Zone and if somehow I had entered it without realizing. I notice that McGee has also stopped what he is doing at Gibbs' statement. Gibbs must have become aware of our hesitation because he calmly, but firmly, orders:
"Go."
It takes a moment for my brain to engage and by the time I think to grab my jacket and bag, McGee is waiting for me. We walk to the elevator together and as we wait for it to arrive, I unsuccessfully resist the urge to turn around and perhaps see why Tony had been kept back.
Tony is standing at Gibbs' desk with his head down not looking at him. He nods two or three times in response to things Gibbs says, but as far as I can tell Tony never says anything in return.
The elevator dings its arrival and McGee and I get in together while he presses the ground floor button. After a moment, the doors begin to close, but as they do I swear I hear Abby and Ducky's voices saying Tony's name in their own unique ways.
Unsure I have heard what I think I have heard, I look to McGee, point towards the elevator doors and ask, "Did you – ?"
"I did. What was going on today?" he said turning towards me. "It was like something out of the Twilight Zone."
"Yes!" I exclaimed. "I thought the same thing myself. Tony quiet. Gibbs – more Gibbs-like than usual. Vance asking to see Tony. The envelope in his pocket after the meeting –"
"Envelope?" he queries as the elevator stops and the doors open.
"Yes, a white envelope in his suit pocket that was not there before his meeting with Vance."
"Well, there's nothing we can do about it tonight," McGee declares as we walk through the parking lot to our cars.
"If it is like this again tomorrow, then I will do something about it."
I see that my statement slightly alarms McGee, but all he does in reply is to simply nod.
Having reached my car, I disengage its alarm and smiling slightly say, "Good night, McGee."
McGee gives a small wave, reciprocates my 'goodnight' and continues walking towards his car.
I watch for a few seconds before starting my car and driving away. As I peel out of my parking space, I decide to not let the mysteriousness, the uncharacteristic behavior of the day ruin my evening, but I am equally (if not more) determined to find out what was going on with Tony.
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To be continued…
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A/N: Anyone want to hazard a guess as to what is going on with Tony?
This is the first time I've written anything from Ziva's POV. How did I do?
Thanks for reading!