A/N: A series of drabbles centered around the Gibbs team going on an impromptu mini road-trip. Enjoy!
Set in Season 7.
I do not own any of the characters, all the rights go to respective owners etc etc.
Roadtrip
"Gear up". As soon as the words registered in everyone's minds, the Gibbs team was up and packing.
"Where to, boss?" Tony asked.
"Charleston, West Virginia. Dead sailor." Gibbs replied without looking back. McGee did a double take.
"Boss, that's almost a 5 hour drive from Washington."
"Yeah, McGee, your point being?" Gibbs was in front of the elevator, while his team had stopped to look at him.
"Come on!" He ordered, and they scurried along. "We'll take the car, Ducky and Palmer will be arriving first with the other team."
"I take it that I cannot drive, then?" Ziva asked, and 3 pairs of eyes glared right at her.
"You cannot drive. Ever." Tony said, half-expecting a head-slap to come his way. Instead, Gibbs silently nodded.
"I'm driving; you three are sitting in the back." The elevator announced its arrival with a 'ding' and the doors opened.
"Shotgun, boss?" Tony asked as he stepped in the elevator.
"No." Gibbs turned his back to his team as he pressed the correct button without looking, the cup of coffee warm in his hand.
"But-"
"No." The elevator doors closed, and silence fell upon the group. Ziva looked up to her left and frowned.
"McGee." She called out, but got no response. His eyes were closed. She nudged him to the stomach and he jolted.
"I'm awake, Dad!" Looking around at the dumbfounded people watching him, McGee started sweating for a response.
"I mean Gibbs- I mean boss, I'm awake, boss." Tony snickered and Gibbs returned his gaze to the elevator doors. Ziva sighed.
"Nice save, Probie. Didn't sleep well last night?" Tony teased. The elevator doors opened and Gibbs sauntered right out. The rest followed suit.
"No, Tony, I didn't. Jethro had surgery and was whining all night, couldn't let me sleep for five minutes. The vet told me not to give him painkillers for whatever reason, so I had to stay up the entire night." McGee rubbed his tired eyes. At least he had a chance to get some sleep in the car.
"Where did you leave him, McGee?" Ziva asked, genuine concern in her face. McGee turned to face her, suppressing a yawn in the process.
"Abby. As soon as I told her what was up, she was on my front door within minutes." By the time McGee finished his sentence, they were in front of Gibbs' car. He unlocked it and went in the driver's side, and the rest went in the back. Thankfully, there was ample space for each to fit comfortably.
The team left their stuff on the leg space below, while Gibbs left his own on the passenger's seat next to him. Tony grinned, that's why he needed the space. Gibbs revved up the engine and began driving out of the parking lot.
McGee shifted his legs slightly. Being stuck in between Ziva and Tony in Gibbs' car was something he never wished for. Tony stretched, making exaggerated yawning noises.
"Well, might as well settle in for the ride, huh?" He put his hand behind McGee, who was eyeing him suspiciously, and gently pulled at a tug of Ziva's hair. Ziva immediately took a hold of McGee's ear.
"Ow, ow, ow! What are you doing?!" McGee grimaced in pain.
"Never do that again, McGee." The determination in her eyes frightened McGee, who tried his best to lean far away from her. The strong hold on his ear prevented him, though.
"Look at my hands, I didn't do anything, it was Tony!" Ziva glared at McGee, who looked at her with a face begging for mercy. Quickly, she reached around his head, letting go of his ear, and grabbed a tuft of DiNozzo.
"Hey, hey, hey, watch out, this is DiNozzo hair! I've been growing it out." Tony hissed in pain, and then Ziva let him go.
"How will I survive 6 hours of this?" She told herself outloud.
"By sleeping." Gibbs offered. Ziva glanced at the back of the head-rest.
"Excellent advice, boss." Tony leaned against the car window and closed his eyes. Comfortable silence fell once again. After a few minutes, he re-opened his eyes and looked to his left. McGee's head was lowered to his chest, and it seemed that he was fast asleep. Ziva was simply staring out of the window, deep in thought. Tony took a quick glance at Gibbs, who immediately looked back through the mirror.
"Something on your mind, Tony?" Gibbs asked him. Tony dismissed it with a nod of his head.
"Just wondering what the best way to mess with McGee is, boss." Gibbs let out one of his rare smiles.
"Just don't inconvenience him too much, DiNozzo." As Gibbs turned his attention back onto the road, Tony reached in his trouser pocket for his phone. A bump in the road caused them to shake around, and Tony bent his finger on his leg at a weird angle.
"Ah, son of a-" He was ready to start cussing up a storm, when McGee's head landed on his left shoulder. He turned to his left to observe the event. McGee's mouth was slightly open, and his eyes were disco-dancing under his eyelids. Dreaming already?
All intentions of pranking melted away in an instant, and Tony relaxed. He simply returned his attention to the window, staring out at the road. Tony wondered if Gibbs ran over a bump on purpose, so as to instill this sense of peace. He didn't blame him, because he had to admit that this was nice. A peaceful moment among hundreds. He let his eyes flutter shut, to absorb the calming feeling. Within minutes, he was fast asleep.
When Tony woke up around an hour later, McGee's head was still neatly placed on his shoulder. His own head was leaning against the car window. He silently cringed at the thought of people looking at his sleeping beauty from outside. So as to not disturb Tim, he slightly turned his head to the left. Ziva had, too, fallen asleep, her head situated on McGee's left shoulder. A puddle of drool had formed on his jacket.
Tony let out a slight high pitched whine; he really wanted to stretch his limbs, but McGee's melon head was preventing him. Even bumps didn't seem to disturb him. Tony turned his attention on to his boss. He didn't seem to have moved at all during this time. How much time did pass anyway?
Tony checked his watch. Exactly 1 hour and 15 minutes since they left. As if on cue, Gibbs looked at him through the rear view mirror.
"You're up early", Gibbs teased. Tony chuckled slightly.
"Yeah, McGeek invaded my dreams with his superior dream hacking skills. It's why he's sleeping on my shoulder, he's actually linking my mind to his." That emitted a chuckle from Gibbs.
"Sleep some more, we got another 4 hours," Gibbs said. Tony shook his head.
"I feel that if I sleep more, I'll enter a permanent catatonic vegetable state of which I'll never be able to escape."
"Suit yourself," Gibbs replied, a slight smile on his face. Tony managed to stretch his right foot, until he decided he'd had enough. With his hands, he pushed McGee over to the left and away from his shoulder. What he didn't account for was Ziva also sleeping on McGee's shoulder. As he pushed the both, Ziva's head hit the window. Not enough to hurt her, but enough to wake her up.
"Ouch! Who did that?" As she reached to rub her head McGee's head fell on her arm, waking him up.
"Wha.. Are we there?" He yawned, looked at his shoulder, and the yawn disappeared.
"Who drooled on my shoulder?" He demanded. When McGee glared at Tony, Tony put his arms in the air, as far as he could reach.
"Who is sitting on your left, McGoo?" McGee turned to face Ziva.
"I apologize, McGee, but you do not need to get angry; it happens. You sleep, you drool." McGee raised his eyebrows, then immediately frowned.
"It is a fact of life, Probie." Tony agreed. McGee groaned.
"Anyone got a tissue?" Right on time again, Gibbs extended his right hand back, holding a tissue. McGee grabbed it.
"Thanks, boss." He wiped away the drool, and then stopped. Tony could clearly see him panic as to where to dispose of the napkin, since they were in a moving car. Tony grabbed it out of his hand, rolled down his window and threw it out, despite McGee's protests.
"Hey, that's not nice. We could have kept it and then thrown it away later." Tony chuckled as he rolled the window back up. It was rather chilly outside, anyway.
"Oh, Tim, you naïve soul." Tony purposefully left it vague, so as to annoy McGee even more. As McGee sulked and Ziva looked outside the window, Tony grew bored.
"Hey, boss, could you turn on the radio? Y'know, to fill in the white noise." Gibbs looked at Tony from the mirror, and Tony gulped. Gibbs reached and turned the radio on, and the first thing he heard was a loud rap song echoing through the car, making everyone jump in surprise. Gibbs immediately lowered the volume.
"What is this horrible sound I am hearing?" Ziva complained.
"It's Drake." McGee sighed. Ziva frowned her eyebrows.
"Drake? Who is Drake?"
"Canadian singer, songwriter, rapper." Tony explained.
"Well, frankly, he is not so good at his job. A singer is supposed to make you feel… feelings. This is making me feel murder." Gibbs smiled, not seen by anyone, and changed the station. Suddenly, McGee told him to stop.
"There, classical music. Perfect!"
"Oh God, McGoo, don't make us go through this," Tony groaned.
"This is what real music feels like, Ziva." McGee smiled and laid back, closing his eyes and putting his hands behind his head. 10 seconds later, Tony, Ziva and Gibbs were staring at him. He opened his eyes, frowned at the agitated people glaring at him, and sighed.
"Fine, fine, change it," he surrendered. Gibbs changed the station yet again, and landed on a radio podcast. In unison, three voices exclaimed, "Change it!" He chuckled and changed it yet again, landing on a death metal song. McGee instantly thought of Abby in her lab. Even with the volume turned down, it still made everyone jump, and Gibbs just turned off the radio completely.
"I agree, boss, there's nothing good on the radio these days," Tony exclaimed.
"I don't listen to the radio to know that, DiNozzo, but I'll take your word for it." Silence fell upon the group once again. McGee shifted and turned his head at an angle to get comfortable, then closed his eyes once more. Something was off, though. He half opened them and Tony was staring right at him, a grin on his face.
"Napping again, McSleepy? You know, too much sleep can damage the nerves."
"I didn't sleep all night, Tony. I can't get 'too much sleep' right now." He looked away and closed his eyes again. Suddenly, Tony got the best idea he'd had all morning. Sort of.
"Hush, little baby, don't say a word, papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird," Tony cooed at McGee, who shielded his ears and grimaced. Ziva took one look at the pair and rolled her eyes. As Tony was singing and poking McGee in various places, her eyes fell on Gibbs. His hands had tightened considerably more around the steering wheel, and his form was stiff. He was looking straight ahead at the road, but seemed to zone out at the same time. Ziva frowned, then connected the pieces together.
"Hey, stop," she tried, but Tony was too busy annoying the living hell out of McGee, who had closed his eyes shut and had his ears shielded.
Ziva did the next best thing she could. She pinched Tony on the neck. Tony let out a screech that signaled pain and stopped moving.
"What are you doing?!" He hissed, but he took a closer look at Ziva, and his expression softened. McGee let go of his ears and opened his eyes.
"Finally, took you long enough." When neither agent said a word, McGee looked at them suspiciously.
"What did I miss?" Ziva took one look at them, and then at Gibbs. All three looked at their boss, who hadn't taken his eyes off the road, clearly deep in thought.
Ziva signaled them to wait, and then pulled her phone out. After furiously typing, Tony and McGee got texts. They both checked their phones to find a text from Ziva that read, 'I think Gibbs used to sing this to his daughter.' McGee looked at her in a sad way, while Tony was horrified. He quickly sent a couple of texts that read, 'fuck I sang this and now I made him sad' and 'someone head-slap me'. McGee gave him a quick head-slap, and Tony texted 'thank you'.
McGee texted 'what do we do', and Ziva replied with 'I have no idea'. Tony replied, 'we should cheer him up', and McGee audibly huffed. 'No one cheers up Leroy Jethro Gibbs'. Ziva texted, 'very optimistic, McGee' and glared at him.
"And if that mockingbird won't sing, Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring."
All three agents slowly turned their heads to the front, where the source of the sound came from. Dumbfoundedness crowned herself queen in their minds and chose fear as her king. Without looking down to his keyboard, McGee texted 'oh shit'. Tony had to look down to reply, 'we're in some deep doo-doo'. Ziva texted, 'you are the one that is in deep doo-doo, Tony'. Tony nodded. He gulped and set his phone on his lap, looking in front of him. McGee and Ziva stared at him in surprise. McGee texted 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING?'.
"And if that diamond ring turns brass, Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass." Tony was sure he saw Gibbs shift a little bit, but didn't see any red flags telling him to stop.
"And if that looking glass gets broke," he continued, and Ziva set her phone down as well.
"Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat." The last line was uttered by both him and Ziva as she joined in. McGee could only stare, frozen in place, until Ziva nudged him in the sides. His phone flew out of his hands and he joined in.
"And if that billy goat won't pull, Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull." Tony was mentally hitting himself for not only starting this, but continuing it.
"And if that cart and bull turn over, Papa's gonna buy you a dog named Rover." Tony looked around him and saw warmth in both his friends' faces. McGee was looking at his hands, his thumbs gently tapping his knees. Ziva was looking straight ahead, channeling long forgotten memories. Tony was fascinated at how even though McGee had a pretty terrible relationship with his dad and Ziva was a Mossad officer destined to kill from birth, they both knew that song by heart. Tony thought that maybe Ziva learned it somewhere else when she was older, but it was a welcome touch nonetheless.
"And if that dog named Rover won't bark, Papa's gonna buy you a horse and cart." Tony spared a glance in the mirror and caught Gibbs' eyes gazing at him. He could definitely see some strong emotion in them, but nothing telling him to stop. As they sang the last verse, Gibbs joined in.
"And if that horse and cart fall down, you'll still be the sweetest little baby in town." Finishing that song almost felt cathartic to Tony. He looked to McGee and Ziva and found them with the exact same expression as his. McGee looked down, and Tony patted him on the back.
"This is so much better than the radio," Tony remarked. Ziva chuckled, McGee grinned, and Gibbs smiled.
Another hour came and went. The car had been silent for some time, but the silence was not deafening. Ziva was humming old Hebrew nursery rhymes, McGee was reading a book and Tony was bored out of his mind.
As Tony bobbed his head back and forth, he thought of a good movie quote to convey his feelings at that moment. Unfortunately, the morning coffee he decided to have today made a triumphant comeback.
"Boss?" Tony called out, feeling like a child calling out his parents. McGee eyed him.
"Yes, Tony?" Gibbs was back to his usual self by then, the masks were put back up.
"I get it if you won't agree, I really do, but can we stop for a bathroom break?" He was prepared for the negative answer.
"Alright, we'll stop at the next gas station." Now that was unexpected.
"Does anyone else have to use the bathroom?" Gibbs looked at the other two.
"I mean, I don't right now, but maybe for the sake of convenience for later that'd be-"
"Ziva?" Gibbs asked Ziva, who had stopped humming. McGee promptly shut his mouth.
"No, Gibbs." Gibbs nodded and returned his focus on the road. Just as he promised, as soon as he saw the next gas station he pulled over. Tony immediately jumped out of the car and ran inside the building. McGee took his time, neatly putting his book inside and preparing his bag.
"McGee, if you don't hurry up I'll start this car without you." Gibbs warned, and McGee was out and running in seconds. Gibbs smiled at his frantic asking of the clerk where the bathrooms are.
Silence befell them once more. Ziva gazed out of the window at the sky. Today was quite a beautiful day, Ziva noted. The sky was clear, save for some pure white clouds that slowly moved across the sky.
Ziva moved her gaze back towards the gas station, as McGee seemed to be fighting with the clerk. Upon closer inspection, the clerk appeared to be trying to rip him off of his money. McGee went to move past him, but was shoved right back. Ziva noticed that Gibbs was also spying on the events that were unfolding.
"He does attract bullies," Gibbs commented, emitting a chuckle from Ziva.
"McGee can stand his own ground now, I believe so." They kept looking on as McGee finally ended the argument by pointing his finger at the clerk, then making a run for it. The clerk put his hands on his hips, then stared right back at them. One stern look from Gibbs was all it took for him to get right back to work.
"Well, you were right." Gibbs turned his head back at the front. The car seat prevented Ziva from taking a clear look at him, but the rear mirror helped.
"Are you alright, Gibbs?" She finally asked, meeting his eyes through the mirror.
"Just fine, Ziva." She narrowed her eyes at him. He looked away.
"Because of what happened earlier, I think we may have taken it a bit too far-"
"Not at all." He shook his head, still looking out the window. Ziva stopped midsentence, her mouth still hanging slightly open.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive, yeah." A moment of silence as Ziva considered continuing passed.
"I thought it was a nice gesture." Gibbs flashed a quick smile, which had disappeared as quickly as it had come.
"I am glad you thought of it this way, Gibbs." Neither of them said a word after that, not until Tony returned from his trip to the bathroom. He went in the car, sitting in the middle.
"Tony, that is McGee's seat." Ziva pointed out to Tony, who threw his hands behind his head.
"Not anymore." He flashed a charming grin, and Ziva chuckled.
"Relieved, DiNozzo?" Gibbs laid his head back on the headrest. Tony's grin instantly vaporized.
"Yes, boss, very, boss." He almost saluted, and Ziva rolled her eyes at him. Gibbs let out another smile. A few silent seconds passed.
"I hope you told him to hurry it up." Gibbs looked at his watch. Almost 3 hours left until they arrived. If McGee appeared sometime in the foreseeable future.
"I would if I could, boss, but he was too busy fighting with the clerk. He let me in just fine, but not McGeek. He had to buy something to get toilet privileges." Ziva snickered.
"Did he?" Gibbs asked, staring out at the store entrance.
"Negative. He came into the bathroom running and bragged about his victory. I'll be surprised if he leaves the building without any bruises."
Another few minutes came and went, and Gibbs grew increasingly impatient.
"Tony, go check up on him." Gibbs finally sighed. Tony nodded once and was out within seconds. Gibbs saw him talking to the clerk, then disappearing further into the building.
5 minutes passed before Tony came out, McGee walking swiftly behind him. Gibbs spotted an ice packet against McGee's head, and a myriad of possibilities swam through his head. Tony opened the car door and went in first, effectively swiping the middle seat. McGee settled for Tony's seat.
Neither agent said a word. Gibbs tore holes at them through the rear mirror.
"Tell them." Tony crossed his arms, while McGee was looking down at his legs.
"Tell them what, McGee?" Gibbs tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.
"I fell asleep in the bathroom."
Ziva slowly leaned forward and looked to her right, giving McGee an incredulous look. Gibbs turned around to face him, though McGee wouldn't look up.
"And?" Tony nudged him, and McGee flinched.
"And hit my head on the floor." He gestured to the ice pack he was holding on the side of his head. Gibbs could only stare at his agent, for once having nothing to say.
"You gave us quite a scare, Probie. Have you any idea of the lasting psychological effect this will have on me? At least your pants were up." Tony patted him on the knee, and Ziva leaned back. Gibbs turned back around.
"Should we be concerned, McGee?" Ziva asked, and McGee leaned forward to meet her eyes.
"I don't think so. Didn't hit it that hard." He frowned. Ziva seemed satisfied with the answer, so McGee leaned back.
"Aren't you gonna scold him, boss?" Tony questioned aloud. Gibbs let out a small sigh and turned around. McGee looked up to meet his gaze, but couldn't see any traces of anger. In fact, his face was unreadable. That's usually the case with Gibbs, but now it was completely unreadable.
"Don't fall asleep in the bathroom again, Tim." McGee nodded and Gibbs looked over at Tony.
"Are you happy now, DiNozzo?" Gibbs glared at him. Tony got chills up his spine.
"Yes, boss. Very, boss."
After all that was said and done, Gibbs revved up the engine once more, and they were off.
Despite Tony's apparent carelessness, he did periodically check up on McGee's head injury. Though it would be enough for just a bump, Tony did find it imperative that he have Ducky check it out when they arrived at the crime scene.
One thing McGee found better about the side seats was ample leaning space. He proceeded to rest his head right on the edge of the car window, while holding the ice pack to his head. He quickly grew uncomfortable of having to hold the ice pack as his arm got sore, though. He frowned as he juggled around his mind his two choices; the freedom of leaning against the window but denying himself the relief of the ice pack and the relief of the ice pack substituting a comfortable sleeping position.
No, he had a better idea.
McGee slowly turned his head to face Tony, who turned his head to face him. Slowly, he caught on.
"No, no, enough nap time, McSleepy. My shoulder is sore."
"That's your left shoulder. Your right one is fine." McGee raised his eyebrows. Tony shook his head.
"Don't you feel sorry for your poor injured sleepy friend and colleague?" McGee made puppy eyes at Tony, and Ziva let out a giggle. Tony struggled, looking between McGee's puppy eyes and Ziva's giggles and Gibbs' eyes tearing right into his soul-
"Alright, but you owe me one." McGee smiled and set the ice pack right on Tony's shoulder, something that sent chills up Tony's spine, and rested his head, injury side down, right on it.
"You didn't mention that in the contract, Probie," Tony shivered while McGee shifted to get more comfortable, a smile on his face. Ziva looked at the two, a feeling of being left out rising in her chest.
"I want in, too," was all she needed to say before her head landed right on Tony's sore shoulder. A high pitched groan came from him, but little fighting. Tony met Gibbs' gaze through the mirror. Gibbs smiled and turned his attention back onto the road. Tony suddenly had a major revelation. To him, at least.
He looked out of his right window, then quickly snapped a glance to the mirror, just as Gibbs' eyes tore away. Tony soon came to realize that Gibbs' paternal side was coming through in flashes. He took a moment to look out of the window on Ziva's side, to allow Gibbs some privacy, then promptly leaned his head against Ziva's. She hadn't fallen asleep, so she looked up at him. Tony noticed content in her eyes and let out a rare genuine smile. He looked over to McGee, who had already gone back to sleep, and finally shut his eyes.
When he finally opened them, not long had passed. He stirred once and then let out a groan as the weight of two heads finally registered on his shoulders. The ice pack had already begun to melt, earning Tony a wet and cold shoulder. Before he could check his watch, Gibbs was filling him in.
"30 minutes, DiNozzo." Tony let out a sigh, but said nothing else. Almost 2 hours left until they arrived.
Ziva was the next to awake just a few minutes later, removing her head from Tony's strained shoulder and immediately commenting on his apparent bed hair. Tony snapped back with a comment on her snoring and quietly fixed his hair. Ziva actually looked offended, and turned to Gibbs for validation. Gibbs had nothing to add. Tony shot Ziva one of his 'I-told-you-so' looks.
Some seconds later, Tony announced to the world his boredom.
"Here, read a book." Gibbs tossed him a book, Tony barely catching it. McGee barely stirred. In his hands he was holding the infamous Deep Six novel, written by yours truly Sleepy McDrool.
"You actually keep this in your car?" Ziva questioned, genuinely curious as to the reason Gibbs would keep the book here. Tony thought it was like a parent hanging their child's drawings on the wall, or the fridge. He wasn't going to mention that, though.
"It's heavy, makes for a good makeshift bat." Tony chimed in, earning a slight head-slap from Ziva. He opened the book on a random page and began to read. Ironically, of course.
He didn't last very long before he looked up again.
"Boss, I can't do this. Reading books, especially this one, it's just not me." Tony closed the book and set it on his lap. Ziva was staring right at him, and he turned his head to face her.
"So you do admit that you do not read!" She exclaimed, her eyebrows raised all the way to the stratosphere.
"I finally admit it. I, Anthony 'Tony' DiNozzo, don't read books that often. Unless those books are titled playboy magazine and involve some sort of female-"
Thwack.
"You deserved that one." Ziva crossed her arms as Tony rubbed his head.
"You know, you sure do head-slap a lot harder than the bossman does. Should I be worried about you inflicting some sort of brain damage?" Tony was pretty sure he saw Gibbs roll his eyes through the rear mirror. Ziva chuckled.
"Only if I intend to." She said, her voice lowering down to slightly more than a whisper. Tony shivered.
"If you were to have brain damage that'd have happened years ago, DiNozzo." Gibbs commented. Tony snapped his eyes onto him.
"He's right. Of course. How could I not have thought that?" Tony feigned being skeptical, while Ziva glared daggers at him. The car fell silent once again, though not for long.
"I'm still bored, y'know." Tony said to no one in particular. And no one responded. Suddenly, his eyes beamed as he raised a finger up in the air, shaking McGee in the process.
"Oh, a new idea incoming." Ziva rolled her eyes for the 10th time this past hour.
"A great idea, Ziver! We should play, 'I Spy'." Tony practically beamed with pride at his fantastic and genius idea.
"'I Spy', what's that?" Ziva asked, cocking her head on one side. Tony took her under her wing as he explained the rules of the game.
"Sounds… interesting." Ziva finally declared, accepting the challenge. "Anything I see?"
"Anything reoccurring, sure." Tony nodded.
"Boss, you wanna play?" Tony looked at the front. Gibbs didn't remove his eyes off the road.
"Sure, DiNozzo." Gibbs sighed.
"Alright, I'm going first. I spy with my little eye-" Ziva interrupted him with her dumbfounded laughter.
"Really, that is how the sentence starts?" Tony side-eyed her and continued talking.
"We'll start easy. I spy, with my little eye, something that begins with R." Tony smiled with delight as Ziva frowned. Gibbs didn't react.
"With R?" Ziva repeated to herself, trying to think of anything she could see that started with that letter. Tony leaned back, placing his free hand behind his head.
Ziva looked around her, mumbling under her breath. She looked out of the window.
"Racecar?" She questioned. Tony frowned.
"Do you see any racecars around here?" He asked, disappointingly. Ziva shook her head.
"Let me give you a hint; I spy with my little eye, something long." He raised his eyebrows, hoping to lead her on the right track. Ziva muttered the word 'long' a couple of times, her eyes scanning the car.
"Radio?" She asked Tony, who shook his head.
"Does the hint 'long' correspond with the radio, Ziva. Really." Tony's statement made Ziva swear in Hebrew, earning a smirk from Gibbs.
"Boss, aren't you gonna guess?" Tony asked. Gibbs shook his head.
"Let the new players try first." Gibbs smirked. Tony chuckled, patting Ziva slightly on the head. She immediately slapped his hand off.
"R, and long," she repeated. "Is it in the car?"
"Not exactly." Tony said, and Ziva began looking outside, but only upwards. It was a few moments later that she looked down, and realization hit her.
"Road?" She turned back to a gleaming Tony. Tony nodded furiously, the smirk still on his face.
"Congratulations, here's your trophy!" He glanced around for something, eventually giving her the Deep Six book he had set on his lap.
"Ah- Thanks, Tony. How very thoughtful of you." She set it on her lap. Immediately then, it was decided whoever was the Spy was to have the book on their lap. Tony commented that McGee is giving them ideas through the book from his dreams. Gibbs commented that he's giving them something else, and the book is for covering it. Tony laughed embarrassingly more than he should have. Ziva rolled her eyes at the, frankly, distasteful joke Gibbs had made, that only worked for him and Tony.
Ziva moved her eyes around, searching for something. Eventually, her eyes settled on Tony. She narrowed them.
"I spy, with my little eye, something that begins with I." She said, not moving her eyes from him. Tony leaned back once more, smirking.
"This is easy. Perhaps too easy. Y'know, I'd have expected this from McGeek but not from you, Zee-vah." Tony laughed, while Ziva had her narrowed glare on him.
"What is it?" She smirked. Tony pulled the edge of his collar a little bit. He scanned the car for something, anything. Ziva never let her eyes off of him.
"What is it, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked without looking back. Tony looked at Gibbs, sweat droplets starting to form on his forehead. Ziva set her fingers on his left thigh, tapping impatiently. Tony jumped at the sudden contact. He looked around faster, until his eyes froze on McGee sound asleep on his shoulder. His head sat on an-
"Ice-pack." Tony wiped the sweat off his forehead, glad that the ordeal was over. Ziva's smirk remained on her face, not moving her eyes.
"See, Ziva, that's where you're wrong; you don't mess with real pros." He went to grab the book off her lap, but she prevented him.
"Ah, but that is where you are wrong." Tony's victory smile left his face just as quickly as it came, and he could only stare at her.
"But-"
"Gibbs, why don't you give it a go?" Ziva said, not moving her eyes off Tony.
"Wait, that's not fair. Give me more hints. I gave you a hint." Tony argued. Ziva smirked, leaning back.
"I spy with my little eye, something that rhymes with 'Tony DiNozzo'." Ziva sneered. Gibbs couldn't help but smile slightly at Tony's completely dumbfounded face.
"Is it in this car?"
"Yes. It is."
"What could possibly rhyme with my name that begins with I?" Tony was at a loss for words. Ziva shrugged in a mocking manner.
"Who knows?" Tony narrowed his eyes at her.
"Oh, you are playing a dangerous game, Ziva David," Tony cautioned. Ziva could only smirk back. Tony muttered under his breath, trying his very hardest to search for any words that rhymed with his name that began with the letter I. He quickly realized that was pointless. He needed the big guns.
"You know, I think we should ask a third party. I'm using my lifeline." Tony turned to his right, and with one swift move removed the now melted ice-pack off his shoulder like a tablecloth. McGee's head bumped once on Tony's shoulder and he instantly shot up with a surprised gasp.
"Are we there?" He asked, eyes half closed and hair messier than Tony's.
"Probie, I need you to help me out here." McGee rubbed his eyes and clapped a hand over his mouth as he yawned. Tony abruptly gripped his shoulders tight, effectively making McGee stare right back at him.
"I need you here, man." McGee went to complain, but noticed necessity in Tony's eyes.
"Uh, what do you need-"
"A word. That begins with I. That rhymes with my name." With each short sentence, Tony slightly shook McGee. McGee frowned, looking down, deep in thought. Ziva was looking at them both, the smirk still on her face. Tony didn't leave McGee out of his sight.
"How did that come up in conversation?" McGee raised one eyebrow.
"We are playing 'I Spy', McGee. It is my turn, and Tony here cannot guess my word." Ziva answered before Tony got a chance to open his mouth.
"I Spy, huh." McGee frowned, and then looked into Tony's eyes.
"What?" Tony inquired. McGee slightly lowered his head, still staring into Tony's eyes.
"You can't guess the word, Tony?" It was Tony's turn to frown.
"No, why, did you?" Slight shake.
"Well, I guess that further proves Ziva's point." Ziva chuckled.
"What point? Someone, for the love of God, tell me!" He let go of McGee, who fixed his jacket and rubbed his bump, and buried his face in his hands. Gibbs looked at him through the rear mirror.
"What do I do? My whole legacy depends on this one moment in time. I can't just let it go."
"You do realize we can hear you, Tony." Ziva poked his back. He shot up.
"Tell me. Please. I'll do anything." He grabbed her shoulders, but released them right after as she shot him a deadly glare.
"Anything, Tony?" Ziva pursed her mouth in a smirk. Tony furiously nodded.
"Anything." Ziva tapped her nails on the book sitting on her lap. McGee looked over and spotted it.
"Is that-"
"Don't question it." Tony quickly said, holding a hand up without looking at McGee, who frowned and leaned back.
Ziva breathed in, looked at Tony, opened her mouth and-
"Idiot. The word was idiot." Gibbs finally said, still looking out into the road. McGee snickered, while Tony blinked once and turned to look at Ziva.
"Really. Idiot." He narrowed his eyes at a laughing Ziva. He nodded his head mockingly as Ziva handed Gibbs the book and leaned back, relishing in her victory. Gibbs passed the book onto McGee with one swift move. McGee barely caught it. No one questioned Gibbs.
"Alright, new rules; hints have to perfectly correspond with the word. No more fiascos; especially you, Zee-vah." Ziva stuck her tongue out at him.
"So, does this mean I have a go?" McGee pondered, holding the book in his hands.
"Yes, McGeek, as long as you don't go the Ziva route." Tony pointed a finger at her. Ziva slapped it off. Tony held it to his chest.
McGee leaned back and rested his head on the head-rest. He looked up, biting the inside of his cheek. What word could he use? Something he was looking at, something not glaringly obvious at first. Something that would give 'em hell. Something right above their heads.
"Any day, Probie." Tony feigned boredom. McGee shifted forward.
"I spy something that starts with the letter R." Tony looked at him, a disappointed look on his face.
"Road." Ziva blurted. McGee shook his head.
"Nope."
Tony raised his eyebrows, taking a closer look at McGee, who stared back at him.
"You got a guess, Tony?" McGee questioned.
"Oh, look at McTim and his superior language skills. Do you want to amaze us with some foreign word? Is the word longer than 15 characters? Does it have Greek roots, mixed in with some Chinese? Is it a medical term? Can I find it in this book?" With every passing sentence Tony got closer to McGee's face, who did not falter.
"No, it's actually 4 characters. Super easy." McGee said. Ziva cackled. Tony stared at McGee, then leaned back.
"Radio." McGee frowned.
"That's 5 letters, Tony." Tony audibly swore.
"Race, rack, raft, rail, rain." He suddenly burst out. McGee took some time to process.
"Nope. Surprisingly." Tony narrowed his eyes at him.
"Ribs, rice, ring, riot." His eyes did not leave McGee's.
"Where can you see rice and riot, Tony? The game says to choose a word of something that you can see." Ziva remarked.
"Oh! Thanks Ziva, I'd never have guessed!"
"Then why are you blurting out random 4-letter r words?" McGee sighed.
"That doesn't matter." McGee tried to protest, but the words died in his throat.
"Any hints, McGee?" Ziva asked him. McGee took a second to think.
"Well, it's grey," McGee pointed out and Tony and Ziva immediately began looking for the color grey. Tony picked up the book from McGee's lap, scanned it, and put it right back with a thud, emitting an 'oof' from McGee. Next he tried looking outside. As they sped by, they passed by some grey railings.
"Are you sure it's not rail?" Tony questioned.
"Yes, Tony." Tony looked skeptical, but continued looking. Ziva leaned forward and stuck her head in the opening between the front seats. She turned her head left and right, trying to spot anything grey. Gibbs looked down to see her, and she looked up to meet his eyes. Instead of that, however, she focused on his hair.
"McGee, hair!" Ziva declared. Both McGee and Tony slowly directed their gazes on her. "Well, Gibbs' hair."
"That doesn't begin with R." McGee cautioned her.
"Well, I mean," Ziva started. "Riah?"
"That's just hair backwards." McGee continued.
"You'd strike me as the kind of guy to go for hair backwards in I Spy," Tony interrupted. McGee rolled his eyes at him. Ziva took some more time to think, her face grimacing in the process.
"We have been working around the watch for this one word, McGee; I do not think it's worth it." Ziva put her hands in the air.
"It's around the clock, Zee-vah, and don't you dare give up on me now." He pulled her close to him, and they both leaned downwards.
"I know what's going on. He's making fun of us. There is nothing here even remotely like what he's describing. Don't you get it? He's getting us back for all the torment, all of the torture-" Tony smacked the seat in front of him, which happened to be the driver's seat. Tony suddenly looked up, suddenly feeling very afraid.
"Oh, sorry boss."
McGee coughed once, obviously being able to hear them, and Tony got back up, a suspicious look on his face as he eyed McGee.
"Are we really looking for something here, Probie? Is this not but one of your pesky tricks?" He rubbed his hands together.
"You're one to talk, Tony, and no; there's an actual thing in here that perfectly matches what I said." McGee rubbed his bump slightly.
"Keep looking, guys, it's really not that hard." He looked up in a subtle attempt to give them a clue. Neither of them noticed.
"Y'know, all these years trained to look for the hidden, and we've forgotten how to notice things in plain sight," McGee hummed the last two words. Tony ignored him completely, but Ziva took his words into account. She took one final look around the car, and it was upwards.
"McGee, I have done it." She announced. Tony swiftly turned to meet her.
"You got the word? What is it?" Tony seemed genuinely curious. Ziva crossed her arms.
"Roof." She tilted her head upwards, closing her eyes. Tony slowly looked up at the roof of the car.
"Begins with R, 4 letters, grey." She smiled in victory.
"Congratulations, Ziva." McGee praised, handed her the book from his lap and clasped Tony on the shoulder.
"So, what do you think?" Tony was still looking up on the roof, not moving a muscle. McGee frowned and patted him on the arm.
"Tony." Gibbs stared at them through the mirror.
"It was roof," was the only thing Tony said.
"Well, yes. It was."
"Just, roof." Tony didn't move his eyes from the roof.
"Yes, Tony, it was the word roof."
"I guess, I lost."
"Well, no one is a clear winner in this game. Unless you count how many times someone was Spy at the end of the game, then-"
"How could I have been so blind?" Tony moved his eyes to stare aimlessly in front of him. McGee side-eyed him once, then leaned back.
"Beaten by a car roof. Battered and bruised. How will I carry my family name with pride, now? Everything I've ever worked for, everything I've ever achieved… Nothing matters. Nothing." Ziva had gone to staring out of the window again, and McGee was mindlessly browsing his phone.
"Just let him have his breakdown, McGee." Ziva had commented, and now no one was talking. Except for Tony.
"How is this happening? My legacy, bursting in flames and floating down to rest on the tiled floor."
McGee took one slow look at the matted floor of the car, and frowned at Tony.
" My honor, fluttering away in the moonlight. My-"
"DiNozzo, if you don't shut your mouth your honor won't be the only thing you'll lose." That was all Gibbs needed to say to effectively shut Tony up. Tony leaned back into the head-rest, still staring deep into the abyss.
"I don't like this game anymore." He concluded.
"Neither do I." Gibbs agreed.
Another half hour came and went, and everyone was getting progressively tired of being stuck in a car for that long. Especially Tony.
Tony silently wished he were back home, checking his watch every other minute. Whenever he checked it, he disturbed McGee with his arm. After the 12th time, McGee snapped.
"Would you stop? Checking the time won't make it go by any faster." McGee put on his best angry glare and used it at Tony. He seemed unfazed.
"I apologize for hurting your delicate sides, McPatient, but I really want to get out of this car!" He shouted the last words, earning a 'shut up!' from Gibbs and Ziva.
"Do something to distract yourself. Sleep, read." McGee bent down to open up his bag and passed him the book he was reading before they stopped at the gas station. "Just don't bother anyone else."
Tony could only stare in utter disbelief at the words Probie was mindlessly spouting.
"Me? Bother? Last time I checked, you were the one that passed out in the bathroom and stalled us. I had to come fetch you right out like a 5 year old who got lost in the mall. Bother? Tell that to my shoulder, McBothersome!" With every passing word, Tony got more and more agitated, until his head was mere inches away from McGee's and he had a killer headache.
"Well, I'm sorry for falling asleep in the bathroom; it was out of my control. You, however, are perfectly capable of controlling yourself when you're bothersome. Let's not compare apples and oranges, DiNozzo." McGee shot back in one breath. Tony was taken aback, scrambling for the words to say. He abruptly began to chuckle humorlessly.
"Oh, McGeek, McGeek. If this is about the teasing-"
"You're damn right it is." McGee interrupted. "You're calling me bothersome, meanwhile you have relentlessly tortured me for a decade."
"Exactly! It's been a decade, why are you still taking it so seriously?!" Gibbs rolled his eyes in agreement. This whole situation was ridiculous.
"Because it's annoying? Because it's tiring? Come on. I can do this all day. You're always treating me like junk, 'Probie this, Probie that'- I'm not a Probie anymore, Tony. I don't know why you insist on calling me that." Tony actually looked skeptical, frowning his face at his teammate. Gibbs watched them through the mirror.
"Sometimes I feel that no matter how hard I try, I'll never earn the respect. I'm a field agent, I like to think I'm at least a good one, but I'm good with computers and therefore I'm invalid?"
When Tony didn't respond, McGee opted for looking out of the window. Tony clicked his tongue a few times.
"McGee-"
"Oh, shut up."
"Probie-"
"Shut up!"
"Enough!" Ziva's voice thundered, loud and clear. The booming voice was enough for the pair to snap out of their bickering and stare right at her. Ziva acted fast, grabbing Tony by his hair and McGee by his ear. She pulled McGee close, until his and Tony's heads collided. Both men groaned in pain, following a series of 'hey!' and 'ow!'
"Let go!"
"Stop this imbecilic arguing at once! McGee!" She tugged on his ear, he shut his eyes.
"After all these years, have you truly learned nothing?" Her voice didn't get any calmer, and McGee kept trying to remove her hand. It didn't work.
"Do you honestly think we tease you because we hate you, because we see you as 'junk'? Do you think Tony calls you names because he thinks he is any better?" She pressed her fingers on his reddening ear. Her loud voice dug into Tony's eardrum.
"We do that because we love you, McGee! We love and appreciate you as a teammate, as a friend, as a brother! If we hated you, we would not care to bother! Since when does friendly teasing between friends turn into high school bullying?" Tony was anxious now, Ziva seemed relentless to drill the message into both their heads. Figuratively, and probably literally.
"I understand Tony may seem a little harsh or uncaring at times, but that is just who Tony is! That's how he shows his love, because trust me, he loves you to hell and back! Even if he will never admit it, he does!" Ziva was staring right at Tony, who was groaning in pain and looking straight ahead. A silent moment passed. Ziva let out a sigh.
"The point is, McGee, even if sometimes it seems that everything is wrong and you are feeling unloved, just know that is not the case. Even if you unlearned all of your computer skills, no one here would replace you for anything. You are family. You are my family. We are all family." She finally concluded. McGee was looking at the ground, his head still smacked against Tony's.
"And you," she tugged at the tuft of hair she was holding. Tony let out a high pitched groan in return. "Be nice. McGee did not bother anyone, and neither did you. Although, you do get on my nerves sometimes. I guess that is just the DiNozzo charm." She nodded to herself, satisfied, then released her death grip on the pair. McGee immediately pulled back, rubbing his ear, while Tony rubbed his hair and scalp.
"Tony, apologize to McGee. McGee, apologize to Tony." Ziva commanded. When Tony simply glanced at her, her features intensified. Tony gulped and quickly turned around to meet McGee.
"I'm sorry, Pr-McGee. I shouldn't have said some things that I said. I hope you forgive me." Tony extended his hand. McGee gaped at the sudden sincerity in Tony's words, and shook his hand right back.
"I'm sorry, too. I understand that you have no malicious intent, it just gets confusing sometimes." Both agents satisfied, they released their hold and turned back around to face the front.
"McGee," a fourth voice rang out. McGee shot his eyes up and focused them on the source of the voice.
"Yes, boss?"
"My boss, Mike Franks, used to call me Probie. He still does. It shouldn't have to bother you. You'll always be a Probie to Tony, just as I'll always be a Probie to Mike." McGee recognized the familiar speech, as he'd heard those words from Gibbs' mouth before. He'd held them to heart, but they'd faded overtime. McGee nodded.
"It's a way of life, Probie!" Tony clasped his shoulder. "Next time just notify me if I'm taking it too far, right?" McGee chuckled.
"Alright, Tony."
Tony didn't check his watch much this time, but he knew they had around an hour left until they finally arrived at that darn crime scene. He silently wished it better have been worthwhile, almost 10 hours to drive there and back.
The sun was fully up in the sky by that time, and getting into everyone's eyes. Gibbs had his trusty sunshade in front of him, effectively blocking out most of the sun's blinding rays.
Things didn't turn out so good with his kids, though. Ziva, in a moment of pure rage at the fiery ball of fire in the sky, had decided to use McGee's book as cover. It didn't do such a stellar job, but was decent enough for her in this situation. McGee had rummaged through his things to find his NCIS cap, which he graciously wore. Tony had tried to copy him, but found that he had forgotten to take it with him to work following a round in the washing machine after a particularly gory crime scene.
Now Tony was sulking, defenseless against the angry star in the sky. He'd asked for Ziva's cap more than once, but she was determined not to let anyone else wear her cap. Ever.
He tried using various other items he had as protection, including but not limited to: his jacket, his toothbrush, his entire bag (not as comfortable as he'd thought), a pen, his phone. When none of these worked, he considered other alternatives.
Tony looked over to his right, quietly spying on McGee and his cap. He knew he had to find a way to get that cap off McGee's head and onto his. He just didn't know how. Yet.
McGee seemed distracted, though not enough for Tony to make his move. As McGee gazed mindlessly out the window, Tony raised his hand slightly. He was ready to snatch it when-
Ring. Ring.
Damnit.
"Yeah, Gibbs." He picked up the phone, and all eyes were instantly off him. Distraction, gone. McGee looked at Tony, who immediately realized he had his hand suspended in air. He quickly moved it to the back of his head, slightly rubbing it. McGee frowned and kept looking at Gibbs.
"Yeah, Duck. We'll be there in less than an hour. Yeah, bye." Gibbs hung up the phone and set it on the chair next to his, along with all his stuff. McGee's eyes lingered on his boss for a moment too long, and they were back at the window. Tony made sure to wait a couple of minutes. He raised his hand again, extending a pointer finger…
…when an NCIS cap was suddenly frisbee-d right on it.
Tony barely recovered from what he'd just experienced before looking directly into the bossman's eyes through the mirror. Icy blue eyes stared right back at him, making him slightly jumpy. Words that needn't go spoken were exchanged through occasional wiggling of Tony's eyebrows, and he wore the cap still on his finger.
With the cap settled neatly on his head, though it was slightly too big for him, only then did he realize McGee's and Ziva's passive stares boring holes into his soul. Tony retreated into his slightly bigger cap, blocking half his upper face.
When Ziva started to laugh, he thought he'd finally broken them. He pulled up the cap just a bit to find her cackling over to her side, unable to stop. McGee was the next to go under, laughing like the world was ending. Tony considered the possibility of some toxic laughing gas released in the car, then seriously considered it when Leroy Jethro Gibbs began to laugh as well.
He looked over from agent to agent. They weren't laughing at him, he could tell that much. They were just… well, just laughing.
Within moments Tony found himself caught in the bear trap as well, as he slowly began to chuckle, but soon delving into borderline hysterical laughter. Still, he had a funny feeling inside his chest. He couldn't figure out if it was from the sun, from the fumes of the possible lauging gas, or the fact that Gibbs was smiling for more than 2 seconds. But he didn't seem to mind much. Ziva was laughing, McGee had almost doubled down in laughter, Gibbs for once seemed genuinely happy. How could Tony not smile?
The laughter in the car continued to bounce off the windows as the Major Case Response Team was giggling like a bunch of school girls. Tony was sure they'd finally lost it, all the stresses of the job catching up to them, but he'd think about it later. Right then, his only thought was 'happy'.
Not long after the laughter eventually died down, but the feeling in each agent's heart didn't. Tony, face still buried in the cap, spoke first.
"We should do that again, sometime. I vote biweekly meetings in the elevator. We can call them, 'LIE'." When McGee frowned, Tony elaborated.
"Laughing In Elevator." McGee nodded, having some clarity. Ziva found it to be a good idea, and Gibbs naturally said nothing. Tony still hadn't been willing to let go of his laughing gas theory just yet, so he kept it at the back of his mind.
As they slowly started to enter Charleston, Tony found himself wishing that the trip wasn't over. He had to admit that it was fun. In that, admittedly, short amount of time, he'd learned quite a lot about his teammates and friends. He'd learned that McGee really, really likes to sleep in cars. He'd taught Ziva another new American tradition that he kept close to heart, and learned that she was quite good in defusing a tense situation. As was usually the case with Ziva. On second thought, Tony noted, he hadn't learned much new information about Zee-vah.
What he had learned with certainty was about Gibbs' softer side. He had come to be quite familiar with the man, even going so far as claiming to be one of the very few people in the world who understood Gibbs in varying degrees. Today he'd exposed just a bit more of himself, though. Tony didn't know whether that was a good thing for the boss or not, Gibbs would deny it for sure, but it sure was good for the team.
And as the car pulled over and parked next to the NCIS truck, Tony exited with a sense of peace. They were going to work difficult cases, deal with more grim stuff than they'd ever like to deal with. But Tony knew for sure, that as long as they had each other, they'd all be alright.
As long as they were a family, they'd pull through anything.