Title: Déjà vu
Rating: K+ for a little language
Spoilers: NCIS Chimera episode
Summary: Episode tag for Chimera.
A/N: Couldn't resist the inside joke for Webb fans. Not been betaed. All mistakes mine, all mine…like I couldn't remember the name of the Director's secretary.
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"Oh my G…." Jenny Sheppard stared at the screen in horror as the ship exploded. A split second later, she whirled around to face the smug commanding officer, her eyes shooting sparks of anger.
"What?"
"Don't screw with me! My people were on that ship and now it's gone!"
"I had nothing to do with what just happened!" Lt. Commander Skinner defended himself.
"Do you expect me to believe you?"
"Have I ever lied to you before?"
"Have you even been telling me the truth?"
"Of course I have!"
"Forgive me if I don't believe you."
"Look, I promise…"
"Director!"
"Yes?"
"Look!" The operator pointed to an object rapidly heading away from the demolished ship.
"Get in closer."
The zoom revealed that the same black boat that had sped towards the Chimera was now aiming for shore.
"Can you get in closer?"
"I can try."
The scene magnified once, twice, three times…enough to distinguish five figures on deck.
"Can we see their faces?"
"That's the best I can do."
"Order a unit to intercept the vessel and its crew when it reaches port," Jenny instructed.
"Now wait a minute," said Skinner in a challenging tone, "I believe this is the Navy's jurisdiction."
"Your jurisdiction ended the minute you had that ship blown up," she said icily.
"Whether you believe me or not, for the record, I did not order that ship blown up."
Cynicism was blatant in her look.
"Fine…and for the record, if I find out you had anything to do with what just happened, I will have your ass keelhauled from here to the White House."
"You wouldn't dare…"
"Wouldn't I?"
Coolly confident blue eyes met skeptical hazel ones, neither side blinking.
"Director Sheppard?"
"Yes, Martin?" responded Jenny never taking her focus from Skinner.
"I have Agent Gibbs on the line."
Relief washed over Jenny for a brief second while she maintained the mask of professionalism.
"Put him on speakerphone," she ordered.
"Excuse me, Director, Agent Gibbs insists on speaking to you privately," Martin relayed.
She tapped her comlink. "Is everyone all right, Agent Gibbs?"
Beneath the cocky façade, uneasiness began to eat at the edges of the lieutenant commander's confidence as the Director continued her conversation with her lead agent. He could feel his gut tighten when Jenny Sheppard's eyes narrowed in speculation. He did not like the gleam in her eyes.
"I'll take care of everything at this end, Jethro. Well done." She signaled to the MTach operator to cut communication.
"Sounds like your agents managed to get away before the ship was attacked," began Skinner.
"Yes, they did," she answered with deadly calm approaching the Commander with deliberate steps.
"That's great."
"Yes, it is."
"You must be glad they're safe."
"Yes, I am."
"You know, I'll be glad to make arrangements to take care of the boat so your people can just disembark," he offered.
"I just bet you would," she uttered before letting fly a hard right jab.
"What the hell was that for!" cried the Commander clutching his face. He pawed at his pocket to dig up a handkerchief. "Jeez! I think you broke my nose!"
"You should be damn glad it was only your nose! Or would you rather be whining an octave higher?"
"You won't get away with this!"
"You wanna bet?" she threw over her shoulder. "And don't drip on the carpet on your way out!"
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"You're back!" Abby cried joyfully as she flung her arms around Gibbs.
"Was there any doubt?" Tony replied brashly as he returned his teammate's hug.
"Of course…from the moment Ducky said he thought it was bubonic plague."
"I'm sorry I worried you, my dear," the medical examiner said apologetically as he patted her shoulder.
"That's okay, Ducky. I know you wouldn't have said it was bubonic plague unless you really thought it was bubonic plague. I'm glad it wasn't."
"So are we."
Abby's eyes grew wide. "But before I knew it wasn't bubonic plague I was really really really really worried so when Director Sheppard finally came out of MTach and even though she was really really really really mad I had to ask her what was going on and hen she told me…."
"Hold on, Abby," McGee interrupted, "Director Sheppard was mad? Like in upset or angry?"
"Like in furious with flames coming out of her ears kind of mad!"
"At who?" asked Ziva in confusion. "Us?"
"I don't think so cause she sounded happy when she told me you guys were okay even though it's really really hard to sound happy when you're mad but I could tell she was because…"
"Abby…Abby!" Tony waved his hand in front of the forensic specialist to halt the flow of words.
"Yeah?"
"So who was she mad at?"
"I'm not sure but I think it was that Navy guy."
"Commander Skinner?"
"Yeah."
"Really? What makes you think so?"
"He came out right after she did."
"So?"
"He was holding his nose."
"There's nothing suspicious in holding one's nose, my dear. Perhaps he had just sneezed."
"I think it was broken."
"Broken? What makes you think so?"
"Cause I heard him muttering something about the next time wearing a mask when he meets with these goddamn higher-ups."
A snicker escaped from Gibbs' lips. Heads swiveled in his direction and saw a smug look of satisfaction on his face.
"You think the Director broke his nose?" DiNozzo asked cautiously.
"I wouldn't be surprised."
"Why?"
"It's what I would do if someone screwed with my team."
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Jenny Sheppard was busy looking through yet another file when there was a knock at her door.
"Come in."
"Director?"
"Yes, Sharon?"
"A courier has a packet for you. He insists on delivering it personally."
"I've been expecting it. Show him in."
"Right…and by the way, Agent Gibbs and his team are back."
"Good. Could you please tell Agent Gibbs I'd like to see him?"
"Certainly."
A young man in a three-piece suite walked in.
"Director Sheppard?"
"Yes?"
"With General Hayden's compliments," he said handing her an envelope.
"Thank you, Agent ….?"
"Hayes, ma'am."
"Thank you, Agent Hayes. Please convey my thanks to the General."
"I will."
Jenny waited until the agent left her office before slitting the sealed envelope. She withdrew a thin folder. Top Secret was emblazoned on the cover. She flipped it open. A photograph of Lt. Commander Skinner stared back at her. She read,
"Lt. Commander William N. Skinnner aka Clayton Webb…"
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