Gibbs went into the break room looking for coffee. The damn pot was empty! He quickly searched all the cabinets. Nothing. Son of a…
"Good morning, Agent Gibbs." A feminine voice chirped out from behind him. Gibbs whipped around to see a petite, brunette woman, maybe thirty, standing there with a cup holder loaded with five large coffees. Gibbs eyed the woman, then the coffee, then the woman, then the coffee. Finally, his bright blue eyes rested on her dark sapphire eyes.
For a second he tried to remember her name. Her clip-on badge was twisted backwards, hiding her identity. He had seen her have lunch in the break room with McGee. Why had he never introduced himself? She looked attractive even in the casual black slacks and dark blue sweater she wore. Her feet were comfortably clad in Doc Martins.
She shifted slightly under his gaze. This brought his mind back to the coffee.
"Uh, good morning, agent…" What was her damn name?
"Sutter." She said with a smile. This put him off guard for a second. Women didn't usually smile at him in that friendly way. He wasn't too sure he liked it. "Brynn Sutter." Brynn, that sounded different. "Are you looking for coffee sir? McGee asked me to pick up some extra cups on my way in. Said there wasn't any here." She pulled out one cup then handed the cup holder to Gibbs. "Hope you like it black." She said when he accepted the cup holder.
"I wouldn't have it any other way." He felt awkward but smiled down at her. "Thank you… Agent Sutter." He shifted his weight from left to right.
"Anytime, Agent Gibbs." She winked at him and left. Gibbs stood there until the smell of the coffee wafting up his nose brought him back to earth. He slowly made his way to the bullpen and set a coffee on each desk. When he finally sat at his own desk he looked up to see his entire team gawking at him.
"Boss, you okay?" Tony actually sounded concerned.
"Huh?" Was his brilliant response. "Yeah, why?"
"You look as if you just veered into a paragon universe, Gibbs."
"Parallel universe, Ziva." Tony corrected her. "And yeah, boss, you kinda do look a little dazed there."
Gibbs' eyes fell on McGee who was quietly looking from Gibbs, to his own coffee cup. Gibbs saw McGee put two and two together in his head. McGee looked back at his boss and raised an eyebrow.
"She winked at me…" Was all Gibbs could say.
NCISNCISNCIS
Ziva had just about had enough. She had spent the last hour at her desk watching Tony and McGee pester each other. She was about to snap when a woman walked over to McGee's desk. Tony immediately stopped what he was doing and glared. The woman was holding a bag of Chinese food and a cup holder with two large drinks. McGee smiled as soon as he saw her.
"Hey, Timmy." McGee blushed slightly at the nickname. "You ready for lunch?"
"Yeah." McGee stood and took the cup holder. "I heard a little something about you this morning." The two of them headed towards the break room.
"Was it good or bad?" She asked.
"I'm still not sure." Tim laughed.
Once they were out of sight, Ziva turned back to Tony. He was still glaring off into space.
"Do you know her, Tony?" Ziva's tone was teasing.
"Agent Brynn Sutter." Tony might as well have described a cockroach. Ziva's eyes widened.
"And who is Agent Brynn Sutter?"
"She works in computer crimes. When I was stuck on a boat in the middle of an ocean, Timmy was down in the basement hacking away with her."
"Wow, Tony."
"What?"
"I know you are protective of McGee but would you really begrudge him a friendship… With a woman?"
"What the hell does that mean?" He finally turned his glare to Ziva.
"Tony… When are you going to finally come clean about how you feel? Everyone can see it."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Tony turned back to his computer.
NCISNCISNCIS
Gibbs was pretty sure he had scared the hell out of at least three people on his way to the break room. He couldn't help but grin in spite of himself. He really had no idea why the mere sight of him sent people fleeing. Although it could have something to do with his brisk pace and the dead stare he usually wore. It wasn't like he did it on purpose… When he made the final turn into the break room, his grin faded.
McGee was having a very fun looking lunch break with Gibbs' coffee mistress. What. The. Hell.
"McGee!" Tim jumped at the sound of Gibbs barking his name. The grin quickly returned to Gibbs' face.
"Yes, Boss!" Tim turned in his chair. Brynn leaned over for a clear view of Gibbs.
"Hello, Agent Gibbs." Gibbs faltered. What was he going to say? He knew he was about to yell at McGee for something… Dammit! "Would you like some lunch?" Tim whipped his head back around to gape open-mouthed at Brynn. Of course all Gibbs saw was the back of McGee's head. "We have plenty." Tim grunted in surprise and quickly tried to hide it in a cough.
"Sure." Gibbs felt like he had no control over his body. He found himself pulling up a chair to sit in between the other two. Brynn pushed a paper plate his way. Tim's eyes kept going back and forth between Brynn and Gibbs. This was going to be awkward…
NCISNCISNCIS
Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva had all just settled into their desk chairs when the elevator dinged. Tony's head came up in time to see Tim exit the elevator laughing. Tony smiled at his Probie's goofy laugh. A more feminine laugh caused Ziva to look up too. Brynn came out right behind Tim. The two were in the middle of a conversation by the time they got within earshot of the team.
"It was harder than I thought it would be, but I think I got the hang of it." Brynn was saying.
"Ah, you did great for a first timer. I'm sorry you're hurt though." Gibbs' eyes slowly settled on Tim. He may have to kill someone today.
"My butt and knees are gonna be sore for days." Eh? Gibbs and Tony both twitched
"Well that's payback for me not being able to lift my arms over my head for a week." By now they had made it to the middle of the bullpen. Brynn took a second to look at the faces of the team. She turned to Tim and smiled.
"Never underestimate the entertainment value of the look on a person's face when their mind has just taken a nose dive into the gutter." Ziva and Tim both laughed. Tony glared down at his desk. Gibbs glared openly at McGee. Brynn leaned over to Tim. "I think that's my exit cue." She said in a hushed tone.
Once Brynn left and McGee sat down, Ziva pouned on him with questions. Finally he gave in.
"She's just a friend and colleage. That's all."
"A friend with a sore butt." Tony interjected. Normally by now, Gibbs would have told them all to shut up. But damn, he was interested.
"Okay, she agreed to teach me yoga if I taught her how to ice skate. Are you happy now." Tony didn't look happy at all. Gibbs on the other hand looked… Elated. Tim's eyes narrowed at his boss.
"Well, that explains your sore arms and her sore butt…" Ziva smiled looking right at Tony. "And knees." Tony actually growled. "Why do you wish to learn yoga? Trying to be more lumber?"
"Limber." Tim corrected her. "And yes, I'd like to be more limber." Tim looked at Tony and smirked. Okay, Gibbs had had enough of this conversation.
The phone on Gibbs' desk rang.
"Thank God." He muttered picking up the receiver.
NCISNCISNCIS
One morning, Gibbs found himself in the elevator with Brynn and McGee. He stood behind them and tried not to squeeze the life out of his coffee cup. Being close to Brynn threw him off for some reason. He knew he was physically attracted to her. But it was something else too. She wasn't afraid of him. Truth was, he was just a little afraid of her…
"We have to go out again today. I hate having to investigate crime scenes on ships. I take one look at a rocking ship and my stomach just goes…"
"You should just eat peanut butter." Brynn's voice made Gibbs' body twitch.
"Why? Does it help settle your stomach?"
"Nope, but I hear it tastes the same coming up as it does going down." Gibbs laughed causing the other two to turn and look at him in surprise. He was saved when the doors finally opened.
Four hours later: Brynn had made a special trip upstairs when she heard Tim and his team had returned. She sauntered up to Tim's desk just as he was pulling out a sandwich for a quick lunch. She leaned over the desk. Gibbs' eyes widened as the knee-length pencil skirt she was wearing moved up her legs as she leaned. His mouth went dry. It wasn't often that he thanked God that his desk was right across from McGee's.
"So did you take my advice about the peanut butter?" Tony choked on the bite of food in his mouth. Gibbs, who knew what she was talking about, stayed silent.
"Peanut butter?" Ziva asked.
"Yeah, you were right about the taste." Tim replied casually. Tony's face turned red and Gibbs wondered if he should go over and slap Tony's back... Nah…
"Was it the nutty crunchy kind or did you go with that creamy easy spread crap." Now, Tony was full on choking.
"Creamy."
"Wimp." She teased.
"Hey, come on, creamy comes out easier." Tony was gasping for air.
"You are no fun at all. Though I guess the nuts would've hurt your throat on the way up…" Brynn turned and left. Gibbs finally took pity on Tony and went over to help him.
NCISNCISNCIS
"Good evening, Agent Gibbs." Gibbs nearly dropped his coffee and Abby's Caf-Pow. He looked up slowly, a feeling of dread creeping over him. Brynn was standing in front of the elevator waiting for him to come out. She was wearing a simple black sweater and a very tight pair of jeans that let the world see her perfectly round butt. Gibbs wondered if it was still sore… He shook his head and stepped into the hall.
"Uh, what are you doing here on a Saturday night?" He was amazed he got the whole sentence out.
"Abby called me in to help her decipher something. I work in computer crimes, but my specialty is actually cryptography. I'm just on my way out now."
"Oh…" He watched her push the button and saw that her nails had been painted a dark, glossy blue. He had no idea why, but he found the sight of her manicured hands… Erotic. Licking his lips, he forced himself to turn away from her.
"Have a good night, Agent Gibbs." She called before the doors closed. Gibbs nearly ran the rest of the way into the lab.
NCISNCISNCIS
Gibbs didn't often spend his lunch break in the break room. Gibbs wasn't really one for lunch breaks at all. But he knew McGee was meeting Brynn in here today… Again. He tried not to mash his sandwich while he unwrapped it, but thinking of McGee with her… He nearly dropped his food when he saw Brynn walk in.
The entire left side of her face was one big bruise. Her left eye was swollen and red. There was a small cut on the left corner of her bottom lip.
Still, she came in smiling. That was the only thing keeping Gibbs glued in his seat, instead of knocking his chair back and demanding an explanation.
"Wow.." Another agent Gibbs didn't know spoke up when Brynn walked in. She stopped and faced the man, still smiling.
"What?" She asked.
"Thompson told me you got almost mugged last night, but damn. That guy did a number on your face. You look hideous."
Gibbs' sandwich quickly became mush in his hands. He glared daggers at the agent who had just insulted his coffee mistress. The agent looked past Brynn at Gibbs. He quickly went pale under the glare assault. Brynn missed this.
"I look what?" She asked, obviously offended.
"I didn't mean hideous like ugly." The agent stammered, his eyes still on Gibbs. "I meant you look bad."
"So I'm bad looking?" Gibbs tried to hold in the grin he felt coming. He was enjoying this.
"No, no… I just meant. I mean. I should uh…"
"Abandon ship while there's still a lifeboat?" Brynn added for him.
"Yes! I'm gonna do that." The agent hurried out.
"You enjoy that way too much." McGee's voice came from the door to the break room. Brynn and Gibbs both turned. He was holding the usual bag of Chinese takeout.
"Enjoy what?" Brynn asked innocently.
"Scaring the crap out of fully grown men." McGee said while setting up their lunch at the table next to Gibbs.
"It has its uses." She smirked and joined him. Then she surprised both McGee and Gibbs when she turned in her seat to face Gibbs. "You can join us if you want." She spared a glance for what remained of his ground up sandwich. McGee dropped the soy sauce packet he was holding.
"Uh, yeah boss, we got plenty…" Gibbs stood and chucked his sandwich in the bin before joining them.
"So how does someone get almost mugged?" Gibbs asked after too many minutes of silence. Which for him was about one and a half…
"Some guy tried to mug me after bashing me with a tire iron from behind. But he didn't quite get that far."
"Tell me the cops got him." McGee said.
"I'm sure they caught up with the ambulance taking his unconscious body to the hospital." She replied popping a spoonful of rice into her mouth. Gibbs smiled. McGee leaned back a little, something here was just weird…
"What did you do to the guy?" Gibbs asked.
"Let's just say he probably won't make the mistake of thinking female is a synonym for helpless, ever, ever again." Gibbs' smile grew.
"You have the worst luck." McGee spoke up again.
"You mean like the stage light story." She laughed. McGee grinned and nodded.
"Stage light?" Gibbs asked.
"At my high school graduation when I gave the Salutatorian speech, a hundred and something pound stage light fell twenty feet and landed on me." Gibbs' eyes widened.
"How did you only get Salutatorian? I was Valedictorian and you're way smarter than me." McGee leaned in flirtatiously. Gibbs almost broke his chopsticks in half.
"Well I was a geek in high school but I was a geek with a social life." Brynn also leaned over in her seat. Gibbs fake coughed and they both straightened back up. He knew it was a lame move, but it was either that or shove a chopstick up McGee's nose.
By the end of lunch, the chopstick up the nose idea still sounded intriguing to Gibbs. McGee seemed to pick up on this, thankfully. He had made sure not to get too close to Brynn.
That was until Brynn insisted on hugging Tim before heading back down to the computer crimes basement office. After she had hugged Tim, Brynn saw the jealousy etched across Gibbs' face. Without thinking, she leaned over and gave Gibbs a quick hug.
"See you both later." A smile spread across her bruised face. Walking back to the bullpen, Tim couldn't help but notice the tiny spring in Gibbs' step.
Yes. Things were definitely getting weird.
NCISNCISNCIS
That was it. It had gone too far. Gibbs had watched McGee and Brynn constantly flirt and tease each other for over two weeks now. He'd had enough. Tony's obvious attraction (and McGee's blissful ignorance of that attraction) was not lost on Gibbs. It was a constant source of entertainment to both Gibbs and Ziva when the job got rough.
But since Brynn had started coming upstairs more often, Gibbs just felt confused. McGee had confessed to him during a long stakeout that he was actually bisexual. Gibbs had suspected as much for a while, but kept it to himself. Tony was perfect for McGee in that they were polar opposites. Opposites attract, right? The only one who couldn't see it, was McGee. Now all McGee seemed interested in, was spending time with the newest star of all of Gibbs' fantasies. This simply would not do.
Gibbs had asked Ziva over to his house to talk. He had simply told her it was personal. She didn't ask questions after that. Gibbs sat at his kitchen table and heard the front door open.
"Gibbs?" Ziva called, shutting the door behind her.
"In here." Ziva peeked her head around the corner and smiled. Once she sat down, Gibbs got right to business. He had a plan… Ziva was the only one who could help. Operation McNozzo was going into effect. Whether they liked it or not!
NCISNCISNCIS
"Would anyone like to join me for drinks tonight?" Ziva's question brought up every head in the bullpen. "I will pay for the first round." McGee's eyebrows shot up. He had never heard Ziva offer to buy a whole round of drinks before.
"I'll go." Gibbs said, not looking up from his paperwork. McGee's paranoia went into overload. Gibbs NEVER joined them for drinks.
"Well, if you're buying I'm in." Tony said. Then every head turned to McGee.
"Uh, okay I guess." Tim paused and then a wicked thought came over him. "I actually made plans with Brynn tonight. I'll see if she wants to come with us instead." Three jaws dropped. Son of a…
That night at the bar Ziva, Tony, and Gibbs all sat at their table watching the dart game going on just six feet away. Brynn was kicking Tim's butt. The fact that she had a knack for accuracy made Gibb's attraction meter shoot up even more. Her outfit helped too.
Again, she wore tight-fitting jeans, earning her many an appreciative stare from the other bar patrons. If any of them hit on her… Gibbs' blood boiled at the thought. The dark violet blouse she wore hugged her tiny frame, doing way more justice than her usual sweaters. Her shoulder length hair, which was always up in some kind of bun, was left down. Tim had more than once reached out to tuck it behind her ears when it fell in her face. She swayed her hips to the beat of the music playing. It hypnotized Gibbs to the point that he had to keep making sure not to spill his beer.
"Could she be more obvious?" Tony spat out. McGee had finally scored some points and Brynn had slapped his ass in congratulations. Gibbs grunted in agreement. Ziva sent Gibbs a critical look. This was not going according to plan. Ziva suddenly jumped up.
"I'll play winner." She shouted. After three more turns, McGee sat down and Ziva joined Brynn.
"She's quite a spitfire McGee." Tony spoke as soon as Tim sat down. "Sure you can handle her?"
"Tony, how many times do I have to tell you, she's just a friend." But the smile on Tim's face said there was something he was hiding. Both Tony and Gibbs could see it. Tim had turned back to the girl's game. He made it obvious that his eyes were on Brynn's swaying hips. "She's teaching me to dance too." Tony sputtered on his beer.
"What?" He demanded. "I could have taught you to dance if you'd asked."
"If I had asked you, you'd have just made fun of me." Tim's voice was serious. Gibbs finally stepped in.
"You know McGee, they say the ones who pick on you the most are the ones who like you the most." Tony and Tim both gawked at Gibbs. Tim recovered first.
"Wow, Tony I guess that means you're in love." Tim smirked and went to the bar for another beer.
Back at the dartboard, Ziva and Brynn had stopped playing long enough to catch the last of the conversation at the table.
"I feel like we should be watching this with a bag of popcorn." Brynn said just low enough for Ziva to hear.
"I often have the same feeling." Ziva winked.
"Thanks for your help on this by the way. I know how much it means to Timmy."
"Trust me, it means just as much to Tony."
"I was surprised when you called me today. When Timmy told me we were all going out, I thought it was his idea. I didn't realize you and Gibbs had your own plan going."
"I knew there had to be something going on. McGee would not tell me."
"I'm just glad Agent Gibbs is okay with it. I didn't want Timmy getting in trouble."
"Gibbs and I have both known about Tony's crush on McGee for quite some time."
"It's so obvious. How do they not get it?"
"They are not the only ones not getting things." Ziva said aiming her dart.
"Huh?" Ziva just smiled and hit the bulls eye.
Two hours and several drinks later:
"Timmy, you are way too snockered to drive." Brynn, who had actually held off on drinking that night, spoke up once everyone had made their way to the parking lot. "You need to let someone else drive."
Tim didn't argue, he just handed her his keys. Gibbs and Tony both froze. There was no way in hell they were going to leave Brynn alone with a drunken (and obviously horny) McGee.
"No, you know I can't drive your car. I hate the way it handles." Tony shot her a glare. When the hell had she driven McGee's car? "Here. You take him home." Brynn tossed Tim's keys at Tony. He was so surprised he almost didn't catch them.
"Did you drive here Gibbs?" Ziva asked after they had helped McGee in his car and watched Tony drive off.
"Uh, yeah." Gibbs looked from Ziva to Brynn.
"Could you take Brynn home? I am headed the opposite way." Gibbs didn't ask how Ziva knew where Brynn lived. Neither did Brynn.
"Sure." He turned to Brynn and Ziva pulled a ninja vanish. "I think you'd better drive though." He pulled out the keys to his car.
"Okay." Brynn seemed slightly confused but took the keys. Once they got in the car, Brynn couldn't help herself. She started laughing. It was quiet at first but Gibbs could see her body shaking and the big grin on her face. Then as soon as she hit the first red light, it came out in low giggles. Further down the street, she was all but bursting with giggle fits.
"Should I have driven?" Gibbs finally asked.
"I'm so sorry, Agent Gibbs. I just can't help it."
"Jethro." He said quietly.
"What?" She stopped laughing.
"You can call me Jethro." She glanced at him for a split second. Suddenly Ziva's earlier comment about not seeing things popped in her head.
Brynn almost hit the brakes. No, not possible. No way Gibbs was into her.
"What was so funny?" He spoke up again. Brynn figured she may as well confess.
"Okay, you know Timmy is…"
"Bi?"
"Yeah."
"And DiNozzo has been panting after him for years." Gibbs felt he needed to add that. "I am aware."
"Okay, well… Timmy came to me a few weeks ago and asked me for a favor."
"Which was…?"
"He asked me to help make Tony jealous." Gibbs straightened in his seat. "I felt weird about it at first cause Timmy is like a little brother to me. So I asked Ziva for some help."
"Ziva was in on this?"
"According to her, so were you in the end."
"Yeah… I just wanted to see them both… Happy." And I wanted to get Tim the hell away from you.
"Well, Ziva and I figured we could get Timmy drunk, and horny, enough to want to make a move… We knew Tony would jump at the chance to answer said move. And when she told me you were on board, I knew it wouldn't get them into trouble at work. That was Timmy's big concern."
"So right now, there's a chance that someone is moving and someone is jumping…" Gibbs wasn't drunk enough to deal with the visuals popping into his head.
"We can only hope."
"Yeah, hope…" To Gibbs' relief Brynn let them ride in silence the rest of the way to her apartment. Once she was parked she looked over to see Gibbs slumped over in his seat.
"Agent Gi… Jethro?" She liked using his first name. It sounded strong.
"Hmmm?" His eyes opened and his head came up.
"I think you should spend the night. There's no way I'm letting you drive home." She got no argument.
NCISNCISNCIS
Gibbs could hear music. He sat up in an unfamiliar bed. He was wrapped in a blue comforter wearing only his jeans and white tee-shirt. He looked around the room and saw dark wooden furniture, simple, tasteful. There was an antique looking chair beside the bed with the rest of his clothes thrown over it. He slowly got up. There were two doors to his left. One was open, revealing a bathroom. He made his way into the bathroom, still groggy.
When he came out of the bedroom he was met with the sight of a very neat living room and kitchen. The pillow and blanket on the couch told him he had slept in the bed alone. That was disappointing. The living room was brighter than the bedroom and Gibbs blinked several times. Then something made him freeze.
In the kitchen, with her back to him, was Brynn. Clad in second-skin yoga pants and a white tank top she was swaying those perfect hips to the beat of the music. Her hair had been piled back on top of her head. Her neck looked so kissable. Gibbs thought he might start drooling.
Something dinged and Brynn leaned down and stuck her beautiful ass out. Gibbs moved towards her like there was a magnet in his pants. She was reaching in the oven for something. When she straightened back up, Gibbs was right behind her.
"Good morning, Jethro." She said without turning. Gah!
"What's the name of that song?" He asked moving towards the radio on the counter. It was the first coherent thought he could muster. He was now two feet away and to her left. He could see that she was prying muffins out of a pan.
"Don't Stop, by Electric Touch."
"Oo oh." Gibbs could relate to the lyrics. He almost moaned when Brynn brought up a finger and licked a crumb off of it.
"Hungry?" She finally made eye-contact with him. He could only nod. "I made coffee." She pointed behind him.
"I like coffee."
"Um… Kay…"
Gibbs was going to kill Ziva.
Ziva sat at her desk yawning. Last night hadn't gone exactly according to plan, but it was close enough to be called a victory. Tony and McGee came stumbling out of the elevator together, bleary-eyed and exchanging playful grins and shoves. Ziva perked up and smiled.
"Have a good night?" She directed her question at McGee.
"Oh yeah."
"All that yoga do you good?" This time he only nodded. Tony looked like he was about to swallow his own tongue. Everyone went rigid when Gibbs passed by carrying coffee and glaring right at Ziva. Apparently not everyone had a good night.
"I must fix this." Ziva said as soon as Gibbs was out of sight.
"Fix what?" Tony asked. McGee just gave her a knowing look.
It didn't take long for Brynn to make her way to Tim's desk. This time she was met with a warm smile from Tony instead of the usual die-bitch-die glare.
"So?" She asked coming to stand beside Tim. He grinned and raised one shoulder. "Hah, you sly dog you." She whispered.
"Wait a minute." Tony stood up. "Something is going on." He accused.
"Tony, it was for your own good." Ziva said from her chair.
"What was for my own good?"
"Should we?" Brynn asked Tim. Tim just shrugged again. Brynn faced Tony. "Sweety, Timmy and I had nothing going on except a little experiment. We wanted to know if it was possible to make you jealous."
"And I was so tired of watching you two circle each other, that I lent my services to get you two alone together." Ziva finished explaining.
Tony's mouth fell open. He looked from Ziva, to Brynn, to Tim.
"You were all in on this?"
"Yeah, we were." Gibbs added as he passed by again.
"Boss?" Tony paled. "Was I the only here NOT plotting?" Tony cried out.
"Yeah, this time." Gibbs paused at his desk long enough to send Ziva another glare, then walked away.
Ziva's eyes widened in horror. She looked around and realized Brynn had left already.
"We must talk." She said urgently to the guys.
"Huh?" Tony and Tim said together.
"Gibbs is a crushed." Ziva moved to stand in front of McGee's desk.
"Is crushed, or has a crush?" McGee asked.
"Not much of a difference…" Tony said, stretching. Now his arms were sore. No one really wanted to know why.
"Do you not think there was a very good reason for him helping to get you two together? He wanted Brynn to himself. But I think she has reproofed him."
"Rebuffed."
"Whatever Tony, this is serious!"
"I have an idea…" Both Ziva and Tony backed up a step at the evil grin spreading across Tim's face.
NCISNCISNCIS
"Are you certain this will work McGee?" Ziva sat at her desk twirling a pen.
"Most definitely." Tim sounded confident. "Okay, I'm gonna go get lunch. Make sure and call me so I don't get back before Gibbs does. This should work perfectly if everyone remembers their jobs…" His eyes slid to Tony.
"Get going McGoo!" Tony yelled. Tim smiled and left.
Tony sat at his desk checking his email and trying to look busy. Ziva started going through files, without actually reading anything. Finally, Gibbs came in and sat down. Wordlessly, Gibbs tried to boot up his computer. Nothing happened. He tried again. Nothing. He banged his hand on the tower. Nothing.
"Problem Gibbs?" Ziva asked innocently. Gibbs just grunted and banged the tower again.
"Where the hell is McGee?" He nearly yelled.
"He just left to get lunch." Tony blurted out. Gibbs grunted again.
"Would you like for me to call tech services?" Ziva offered.
"No, boss it'll take them forever to send someone here. Just call one of the geeks from the basement." Gibbs glared up at Tony.
"I will call down there and see if anyone is available." Ziva quickly saved Tony's life.
Brynn wasn't sure why Ziva didn't call tech services instead of her personal cell. She figured maybe Ziva was just trying to get her upstairs for girl talk or something. Now that Timmy and Tony were finally together, there was no reason for her to be constantly hanging around Gibbs' team. Though she would miss the looks and Tony's face. And joking around with Timmy and Ziva. And Gibbs… She would miss seeing Gibbs.
When she finally made it to the bullpen, Gibbs looked like he was ready to strangle someone. To anyone else this would be frightening. Brynn found the raw power emanating from the older man exciting.
"Ziva." Brynn's voice brought three pairs of eyes up. "You said…" Brynn felt too confused to focus properly. Something about all this suddenly seemed… What was Abby's word? Hinky? Yeah, hinky. This was definitely hinky times ten.
"We need you to fix Gibbs' computer." Ziva explained. Gibbs had not moved from his chair.
"Okay." Suddenly her confidence returned. She wasn't sure where or why it had decided to take a vacation, but she took a deep breath and headed for Gibbs' desk. You would think from the look on Gibbs' face, that she was coming at him with a gun.
"I'll uh…" Brynn pointed towards Gibbs' computer. "I'll need in there." Gibbs abruptly got up and let her move around him. He did not go far. She was wearing a skirt again today.
He watched her try to turn on the tower. He had to admire her patience. She didn't once try to put her fist through the damn thing as he had. She inspected the outside of the tower.
"Well, here's your problem." Gibbs moved in as she spoke. She was leaning across his desk at an odd angle. He now had her trapped between him and the desk. When she moved back, her butt collided with his groin. "Oh, sorry!" Brynn looked up to see Gibbs standing there with a very strange look on his face. It was like he was trying very hard not to laugh.
"What was the problem?" He still hadn't moved to let her around him. They were inches apart. He could smell her shampoo. Strawberries and vanilla.
"Uh, your power cord was loose. It should work now." She promptly turned and powered on the tower. The monitor beeped to life a second later. "You're all good now." Gibbs finally let her pass. But he made sure to only move far enough that she still brushed up against him.
"Brynnie." Tony spoke up before Brynn had a chance to leave. She turned and raised an eyebrow at her new nickname. She'd been called worse. "You have to go out with us this weekend."
"Um, I do?"
"Yes!" Ziva jumped in. "We are all getting together and celebrating this Saturday night."
"What are we celebrating?" Brynn crossed her arms. She felt oddly like she was being suckered into something.
"The fact that Timmy and I…" Tony stopped himself when Gibbs cleared his throat. "Uh, we are celebrating plots gone well. And as a fellow plotter, you have to attend."
"Yes, so it will be Tony, myself, McGee, you, and Gibbs." Gibbs shot Ziva a look but said nothing. "At the same bar where the first plot went down."
"First plot? Does that mean there's gonna be a sequel?" Brynn still wasn't sure what was going on. Ziva sent Tony a 'help me' look.
"There's always plotting going on here." Tony tried to save them. Brynn smirked but decided it might be fun to get out. It wasn't like she had other plans.
"Sure, I'll be there." Before she left she looked back at Gibbs. He looked like a kid who had just gotten everything he ever wanted for Christmas. This might be more fun than she thought.
Brynn had been right, this was more fun than she thought. After dancing with Ziva and Tony for a good hour (Tim and Gibbs had opted to watch) the group was now sitting at a table watching Tony try to teach Tim how to shoot pool. Ziva had made sure to shove them into a booth seat, putting Brynn against the wall and right across from Gibbs. After a few minutes of just making fun of the guys, Ziva started worming information out of Brynn.
"So why are you still single?" Ziva asked her. For the first time that night Gibbs' ears perked to attention.
"I just have a bad habit of ending up with selfish jackasses."
"Well, I can help you find someone who is not a selfish jackass." Gibbs glared at his beer. "What are you attracted to?"
Brynn knew there was something going on. She wasn't quite sure what, so she decided to play along.
"Well, I like a man with strong arms. I want to feel safe when he wraps them around me. And I want a man who doesn't feel like he has to fix my bad day, but is still willing to listen to me bitch about it." She thought for a second. "And he has to be honest. Lies piss me off." She looked at Gibbs in time to see him shoot her an upward glance. He was grinning. "And he has to be able to start a lawnmower."
"Start a lawnmower?" Brynn burst out laughing at the look on Ziva's face.
"Okay, I dated this guy once, total city boy. I'm allergic to grass. My brother used to mow the lawn for me when I still lived in this little house just outside Silver Spring. But when Bryan got deployed, I had to find someone else to do it. Well, my then boyfriend Rick comes over and…" Brynn had to fight the laughter off. "I had this dinky push mower, piece of crap. You know the ones you have to pull the cord to start?" Ziva nodded. "Well, he goes over and looks it up and down. Then he looks at me and asks, where's the start button!" Gibbs and Ziva joined in the laughter.
"Tell me you dumped him after that, please." Ziva said between giggles.
"Not long after." Brynn shifted in her seat so her back was to the wall and she was facing Ziva. "So why are you single?"
"I have not found the right… Person." Brynn watched Gibbs narrow his eyes at Ziva. He could see she was dodging around something.
"What about you Gibbs?" Brynn's question made Gibbs twitch. "Why are you single?" He looked her right in the eyes.
"I'm a selfish jackass." He grinned.
"And I had such high hopes." Brynn shook her head as she spoke.
"You said you wanted honesty." He leaned in. Brynn felt her ears burn.
"Who's up next?" Tony had come up to the booth. "Tim's guarding the pool table for whoever wants it."
"Ziva?" Brynn asked, happy to be distracted away from Gibbs' stare.
"I do not think pool is my game?" Ziva shot a look at Gibbs.
"Agent Gibbs, how bout you?" Brynn looked back to see him still staring at her.
"Sure."
Gibbs broke, and got in two more points before it was Brynn's turn. She could see that she had some good competition. Still, she managed two points before she missed on her third try. She looked up. Gibbs was looking down at her with a half-grin.
"Who taught you to play pool so well?" He asked, setting up his next shot.
"My big brother."
"Bryan?" She nodded. "Marine?" She nodded again. He took his shot and missed. "You said he was deployed."
"Yeah, that was two years ago. He's out again, but do back soon."
"Are you close?"
"Yeah, really close." She missed her shot. Her concentration was suffering.
When it was her turn again, she made herself focus and sank one ball. She was setting up for her second when she felt something brush her ass. She straightened up and turned. A very drunk looking sailor stood there holding a beer and sneering at her. She felt instantly disgusted and backed away.
"Hey sexy?" The sailor slurred out. In her peripheral vision she saw Gibbs circle around the table. She held out her hand to stop him before he reached her side. His surprised look only made her smile. The sailor stumbled closer to her.
"I will give you one attempt to hit on me." Brynn said to him. "Then you get two seconds before I give you a beating they will write songs about." Gibbs' eyes widened. He wanted to pummel the guy. Brynn just stood there, calm and creepily smiling.
"Damn…" The sailor looked from Brynn to Gibbs. "Never mind, not worth it." He stumbled away.
"I like a woman who can take care of herself." Gibbs was impressed. Brynn turned to him and smiled wider.
"I like a man who lets me." She bent back over the pool table to re-line her shot.
After the game (that Brynn won by two shots), they headed back to the table. They were both surprised to see it empty. They searched the bar and realized they had been left there alone. Brynn pulled out her phone to call Tim and ask what the hell was going on.
"That ass!" She exclaimed. She and Gibbs had sat down at the bar.
"What?" Brynn showed him the text message on her phone.
Brynn, didn't want to interrupt your game. You two looked like you were having fun. Ziva left with someone and me and Tony were tired. Ask Gibbs to take you home. Sorry, Love Timmy
Brynn shoved her phone in her pocket and looked at a grinning Gibbs.
"I think our coworkers are plotting against us." She said.
"I think you're right…" Gibbs could only hope…
"You seem okay with this."
"Maybe I am." He leaned towards her fully intent on kissing her. He closed his eyes…
Nothing happened. He opened his eyes to find Brynn staring at him with a fearful and almost angry look on her face.
"Can you take me home now?"
Dammit!
NCISNCISNCIS
That Monday Gibbs made it clear to everyone that he was in no mood for joking. Or talking. Or being looked at. Or walked past. Or stood next to. Or breathed on hard…
NCISNCISNCIS
Gibbs sat at his kitchen table glaring at the paperwork he had brought home with him. After the day he'd had, he just couldn't concentrate at work. Finally, he had given in and decided to finish up at home. A knock on his front door made him growl in frustration. Who the hell would visit him at this hour?
When he opened his door, he suddenly lost track of… Everything.
"Hi." Brynn stood there with a nervous look on her face. "Can I come in?" Gibbs shuffled to the side to give her access. As she passed, he let his eyes slide to her jean-clad butt. He shook his head and closed the door. "I wasn't sure if I should come over…" Her usual confident demeanor had completely shattered. It took Gibbs by surprise. But having a slight upper-hand with her felt good, for once.
"Why did you?" Better question, how did she know where he lived? Or maybe, why exactly was she so jittery. Did she like having her butt squeezed? No, he liked his first question best.
"I found out Tony wasn't the only one being plotted against." Gibbs' raised an eyebrow. "Apparently, there wasa sequel to the first one… I just found out a little late. If I'd known…" She looked away.
"If you'd known what?" He was getting tired of games.
"I'm sorry. I'm not explaining this well." She ran a hand through her hair. She had no idea how many times Gibbs had fantasized about running his own hands through it.
"Why don't you start at the beginning." He wanted to touch her but his guard was up too high.
"When you leaned in to kiss me at the bar… I wanted to kiss you back. But then I thought for sure that this was some kind of joke. I thought maybe Tony wanted revenge and you were in on it…" Her eyes fell away from him. "But then I cornered Tony and demanded he tell me the truth. He actually valued his life enough to fess up." One of her hands went to the back of her neck. Gibbs just stood there like a statue, staring at her. "I'm sorry I suspected you like that. But I never thought you would actually be interested in me. How could you want me?"
Gibbs finally came to life and reached out for her. She let him wrap his arms around her waist and pull her in. The kiss was softer than she expected. But she felt something behind it. A hunger that needed to be satisfied. She put both hands on his neck and kissed harder. She moaned when Gibbs… Jethro, lashed his tongue out. Her lips parted immediately, inviting him in. She started to sway after several minutes of deep kissing. Jethro backed off and they both caught their breath.
"What do you want? I need to know what you want." Jethro breathed in her ear, pulling her close again.
"I just want you. I don't care about anything else." That was all he needed. He took her hand and led her upstairs.
Clothes off and under the covers, Jethro relished the feel of her toned body underneath him. His touches brought moans of pleasure flowing from deep within her. Kissing and sucking her neck, Jethro let one hand find her breast. As he squeezed and worked the flesh, Brynn arched her back. Her hips connected with his and a loud grunt escaped his mouth.
Somehow her hand had snaked it's way between his legs. She grabbed his hard on, then immediately let go and gasped. Jethro stopped kissing and looked at her scared face.
"What?" He asked genuinely concerned.
"You're gonna hurt me!" She exclaimed in a whisper. Her eyes were wide with fear.
"No," he put both hands on her cheeks. "Brynn, I would never…"
"No, I mean… You're gonna hurt… In me…" Her eyes shifted downward. Then it dawned on him.
"Oh," He chuckled. "Don't worry, I know how to prepare a woman." He kissed her lips. Then he trailed kisses down her neck. He kept kissing all the way down to her belly button. Her moans were making it hard to go slowly. Once he reached his destination he paused. He pushed her legs apart and looked up at her face. Her eyes had rolled to the back of her head. Her mouth was open in silent pleasure. Each hand was rolled into a tight fist above her head.
Jethro threw his tongue out, still looking up at her.
"Ah!" She sat up and almost knocked Jethro with her knee. "What are you…?" She asked completely breathless. Jethro eased her back down.
"Has no one ever gone down on you?" He asked incredulous. She shook her head furiously. "Bastards…" Jethro smiled and kissed his way back down.
Their lovemaking was slow and hard. Jethro, despite his preparations, had indeed hurt her when he first entered her. But he made sure to work her with his hands until she got used to his size. It didn't take long for her short cries of pain to subside into longer moans of pleasure. Jethro was intent on making it last as long as possible. When he felt himself coming too close to the edge, he would stop and go back to foreplay. The sounds of surprise told him Brynn had never been pleased like this before. That filled him with new satisfaction.
Finally, he felt her body begin to tire. He let himself expode inside her. The relief felt so good that Jethro cried out. Her body jerked a few times as the last of her orgasm wore off. When they were done, the sheets were soaked, but neither cared. They simply threw the sheets off the bed and pulled the comforter over their naked bodies. Completely spent, they both fell into a content sleep.
NCISNCISNCIS
Gibbs stepped out of the elevator smiling. Not just the usual half-grin he sported when he was having a good day. No, this was an all out smile. Of course this only mortified everyone he made eye-contact with on the way to his desk. AND HE WAS HUMMING! Gibbs didn't hum! He laughed out loud as he passed one female agent who took one look at his silly face and actually crossed herself. So what, was he a demon now? He was okay with that. He was okay with pretty much everything today.
"Good morning team." Gibbs said brightly as he sat down behind his desk.
"Have a good night boss?" Tony asked cautiously.
"DiNozzo, when I want you to know about my night, I'll write a book." Gibbs sent a look to McGee. Tim just sat there grinning ear to ear.
"Well, do you wanna know about my night?" Tony offered.
"No!" Gibbs and Ziva both yelled.
NCISNCISNCIS
It had been two weeks. It had been the happiest damn two weeks Jethro could remember in a long time. He spent almost every night with Brynn in his bed. People were talking. Jethro didn't care. People always talked. Eventually he and Brynn would become old news and everyone would move on to the next big thing.
Like the fact that Ziva was now courting Nikki Jardine. The former Mossad and the uber-germophobe fit together nicely. Even Jethro hadn't seen that one coming.
"So I take it everyone knows?" Brynn was sitting on top of him, straddling him. They had just finished making love, again.
"Pretty much." Jethro ran his hands up and down her thighs making her squirm.
"And everyone knows about the boys too?"
"Yeah, but the entire office has been taking bets on when that would happen."
"I think it's nice that they can be together and not worry about taking too much crap for it."
"Mhh Hmm." He barely paid attention. His eyes were on her still wet breasts.
"They look like two puppies when they are together." Brynn giggled making her body bounce slightly. Then she gasped loudly. Jethro's gaze shot up to her eyes.
"What?"
"Oh, okay…" She seemed upset all the sudden. "So, talking about two guys getting it on made you hard again!" She put her hands on her hips.
"No! You sitting on top of me naked and bouncing made me hard again!"
"Uh huh." She played like she wasn't convinced. Jethro grabbed her arms and pulled her down. He was on top of her in a second. She squealed when he started tickling her sides. He stopped and let her catch her breath. "Jethro…" She whispered into his ear. "I love you." Jethro cupped her cheeks in his hands and looked directly into her eyes.
"I love you, Brynn." He smiled. "And now you have me until you get tired of me."
"Never. You're mine." She bent down and kissed his lips. "No one else gets you."
"You're very possessive." He joked.
"Like you're not. You death glare anyone who looks at me." She pulled him down for another kiss.
"That's right. And I'll do more if they look twice."
"Well, then I should have a chat with a certain someone in tech services…"
"You tell me his name right now!" Jethro growled.
"Her… Name…"
"Huh?"
NCISNCISNCIS
"Hey beautiful." Jethro said into his cell phone as soon as he heard Brynn's voice chime on the other end. He was sitting on his couch on one of the rare occasions he found himself at home with nothing to do on a Saturday afternoon. He hadn't seen Brynn for four days because of another damn stakeout and he was suffering withdraw. By four p.m. he had lost his will.
"What do you want?" She asked patiently.
"What do I want? Can't I just call you? I have to want something?"
"Sorry, I'm just used to people wanting something when the first words out of their mouths are 'hey beautiful.' I get it a lot at work."
"Are you at work?" Please say no…
"Nope. I'm bagging laundry to take into town to wash."
"You know, I have a washer and dryer. You could come over here and do it."
"You don't mind?"
"Of course not?" Had she lost her mind? "I love seeing you anytime I can."
"Okay, I'll be right over."
Jethro was busy making his best pasta dish (the only pasta dish he knew) when he heard his door open. He let the noodles boil and rushed to the front room. Brynn had no trouble getting the cloth hamper in the door, but Jethro took it from her. He quickly showed her to the basement where his washer and dryer sat. Then he hurried back to the pasta. He wanted it to be perfect for her.
When she joined him in the kitchen, she immediately made herself at home. She knew the kitchen by now and busied herself with pouring them both some wine. Ever since she had told him that she liked strawberry wine, he always had bottle in his fridge. She wasn't sure if he actually liked it or not, but he drank it anyways.
"Sorry about earlier on the phone…" She said sipping at her wine. Watching him cook for her filled her with a warmth she hadn't felt in… Well, ever. And she needed that right now.
"Huh?" He was stirring something into the noodles.
"On the phone… When I expected you to want something. I've just been having a bad week." Jethro stopped what he was doing and looked at her.
"I leave for four days and I miss out on you having a whole bad week?"
"I'm still having issues with my brother."
"Ah."
Jethro had listened to Brynn rant about her brother over a week ago. He hadn't tried to fix anything, he had just listened. He knew how good ranting felt. Bryan Sutter had returned from deployment to find his girlfriend of over a year in bed (in his bed, in his house) with his best friend. Since then he had spent pretty much every night in a different bar. Brynn would get a call in the middle of the night to come and get him. The last call had been from the police station.
"I get that he's hurting…" Jethro felt another rant coming on. "But he's so… Ugh."
"You're getting tired of it. There's nothing wrong with that." He could see the torn in half look on her face. Jethro knew Bryan was the only family she had other than an uncle in Colorado.
"I just feel so bad. But yeah, I'm getting tired of watching him piss all over himself and asking everyone else to clean it up."
"Not everyone else, just you." Jethro had gone along with Brynn a couple of times to get Bryan. He was not impressed with the Marine's attitude, broken heart or not. But he had kept that to himself.
"I kind of… Told him off last night." She rubbed her hand up and down one arm. She did this when she felt like she had done something wrong. Jethro switched off the stove and turned to face her. "I told him I was through with his crap. That if he wanted someone to bail him out again… Call someone else." Jethro reached out and put his hands on her arms. She looked up at him. "He got so mad…"
"Hey, he's too old for you to be pulling him out of the fire constantly. He needs to be a man. You did nothing wrong. I'm surprised you actually lasted as long as you did." He took her hands and kissed them. "And you're being a lot nicer than I would be." He finally got her to grin.
After their supper Brynn had remembered her laundry and gone back downstairs to throw it in the dryer. Jethro had followed her, still chatting. She pulled out her clothes one item at a time and shook each one before tossing it into the dryer. Jethro's eyes popped when she pulled out a scanty pair of lacy black panties.
"Whoa," he said causing her to pause. "When do I get to see you wear those?"
"You already have." She smirked up at him. "Just not for very long."
Oh, she was gonna get it later…
Later… But not much later…
"Jethro!" Brynn cried his name as he bit into her neck. They were on his couch. Brynn was straddling him, grinding her still fully clothed body against him. Jethro groaned, moving his lips to her ear. He tugged at her earlobe with his mouth bringing a whimper from her. "Yes." She whispered. His hands found her perfect ass and squeezed. He found out early on that she did indeed like having her ass squeezed. It brought forth more moans.
She retaliated by licking her way down his neck and sucking near his collarbone. Her back suddenly felt cold. It took her a second to realize her shirt was now gone. Well, if he was gonna strip her… She pulled at his shirt until it came off. Gently she clawed down his back while still sucking his skin.
Something vibrated violently between Brynn's legs. It tickled her so badly she jumped off Jethro and landed on the couch beside him.
"Wha?" Brynn was breathless. What the hell was that?
Whatever it was had clearly irritated the hell out of Jethro. He growled and dug his hand in his pocket. Brynn felt stupid when he pulled out his cell. She should have known what it was.
"Yeah, Gibbs." If the person on the other end wasn't scared by his tone, they were stupid. Brynn almost laughed at the thought. "Yeah." He said into the phone. Reaching out, he ran a hand up and down Brynn's leg. "On my way."
When Jethro looked back at Brynn, he saw her scowl before she could mask it. In two months she had never once complained when he had to rush off to work. She knew what she was getting in to by dating him. But damn, it annoyed him too sometimes to leave her. Especially when things were getting interesting.
"I'll be back as soon as I can." He leaned over and kissed her before grabbing his shirt. She smiled up at him. "Don't you dare leave."
"Well, I still have laundry to fold." She said, pulling her own shirt on. Jethro stopped hunting for his shoes for a second. He turned and faced her. The look on his face made her eyebrows come up. "What?"
"If you want… You could leave some of it here." Brynn fully understood how difficult it was for Jethro to actually let someone encroach on his privacy. Now here he was, offering to share a closet. Wow.
"You don't have to say that just for my benefit." She felt sure that he was just trying to be nice to cheer her up.
But when he smiled and pulled her up, she felt her heart flutter. He leaned in and gave her a long, deep kiss. By the time he pulled back, Brynn was so dizzy that her vision blurred.
"When you're here." He spoke into her ear. "I'm the one who benefits." He kissed her ear and stepped back. Brynn fell back onto the couch, still dazed.
Several hours later Jethro came home to find his couch empty. Brynn's half-full laundry bag was sitting next to the couch. Looking at his watch, Jethro mentally slapped himself. Of course she wouldn't still be awake. Once upstairs he stripped himself down to his boxers and climbed into his bed. Brynn was sprawled over the left side of the bed fast asleep. Jethro settled in beside her and curled one arm around her small waist. She moaned in her sleep as he did. He had almost forgotten how good it felt to come home to someone.
NCISNCISNCIS
Tim and Tony snuggled closely, neither one paying much attention to the car chase playing in front of them. Tony had made fun of Tim countess times for not having a couch. But watching T.V. in bed did have its advantages. Tony had finally had enough teasing. Tim had spent most of the movie with his head on Tony's stomach. Tim's fingers traced the inside of Tony's thighs.
Without warning Tony twisted his body and pushed Tim down. Tim just smirked up at him, knowing full well what his teasing had done. Tony threw one leg over Tim's body.
Someone knocked at Tim's door. Tony and Tim both jumped off the bed. Tony growled when he looked at his watch. Who would be knocking at ten on a Sunday night. Tony reached the door and froze. Tim was standing there looking horrified at the crying blubbering mess in front of him.
"Brynnie?" Tony pushed past Tim and grabbed Brynn. Her left cheek was swollen twice its normal size. Tony led her to Tim's desk chair and helped her sit. Tim finally shut the door and stood beside Tony. "What happened?" Tony knelt down beside her.
"He hit me. He hit me hard." She choked out between sobs. "He got mad and hit me."
Tony and Tim looked at each other completely shocked. Who the hell would hit Brynn?
"Who hit you?" Tim's voice came out hard. "Brynn who hit you?"
"Bryan." She brought her legs up and wrapped her arms around them.
"What? Your brother hit you?" Tony shouted, making Brynn whimper. He stood and caught Tim glaring at him. "Right, shouting not helping, sorry." Tim and Tony both knew about the problems she had been having with her brother.
"Brynn tell us what happened." Brynn looked up and shook her head.
"You can't tell Jethro. You can't. He'll kill him."
"I doubt Gibbs would be that nice." Tony muttered. Tim shot him another glare. "Right, again, not helping."
"He came over maybe an hour ago. I'm not sure…" She cleared her throat. Tim quickly grabbed a bottle of water out of his fridge. When he got back to her she was rubbing her face on her sleeve. He handed her the bottle and went back into the kitchen for tissues.
"What happened Brynnie." Tony knelt by her again. Tim held out the box of tissues but she shook her head.
"He was drunk when he came over. He had gone past depressed to just pissed off. He wanted me to give him money. He kept yelling about tracking down Jenna, his ex…" Her body shuddered with sobs. "I knew he was out of his mind but…" She looked up at Tim. "I told him he wouldn't get anymore help from me. Then he punched me. He punched me so hard I blacked out. When I woke up he was gone. He had dumped my purse and took my car. I had some money stashed in my desk so I caught a cab here." She let her legs drop. "I'm so sorry I came here. I just don't know what to do. If I went to Jethro…"
"Brynn you have nothing to be sorry about." Tim reassured her. "But we have to tell Gibbs." Brynn grabbed her head with both hands. "Not because you and he are involved." Now Tony glared at Tim. "Look, this is a Marine who assaulted someone and stole a car. Not to mention also threatened someone's life. We have an obligation to." Brynn cut him off.
"Don't do that to me." She stood up and pushed past both men. "Don't give me that 'it's my job' lecture." She turned and faced them. "I just can't take that right now." She hugged herself. "Once he sobers up… He'll see what he's done. He'll come back."
"What if he doesn't?" Tony tried to be the voice of reason, but she wouldn't hear it. "Brynnie we need to take you in and get a statement and find your brother."
"If anything." Tim added. "We need to at least find Bryan so he doesn't hurt himself or anyone else."
"You're right." Brynn sniffed. "And I almost hate you for it."
"So… Who gets to tell Gibbs." Tony asked Tim once they had both retreated to the bedroom to get dressed.
"How bout you, Senior Field Agent DiNozzo."
"You are so mean!"
NCISNCISNCIS
Seven a.m. on the dot, Ziva walked in to find both Tony slumped over his desk snoring. Tim was at his computer looking like he was about to fall over.
"Have you two been here all night McGee?" Ziva's question brought Tim's head up.
"Pretty much. We kinda caught a case."
"Why did you not call me?" She set her things on her desk.
"Tony and I have been taking care of it." Ziva glanced at Tony's hunched over body. Her eyes went back to Tim. "We've been taking turns napping." He explained.
"What's the case?" Ziva sat down and powered her computer on.
Tim told Ziva everything from Brynn knocking on his door in near hysterics, to the moment Ziva came in. Ziva did not take it well. By the time Tim was done, Tony had finally lifted his head to catch Ziva glaring daggers at Tim.
"What did I miss?" Tony slurred, still drowsy.
"You should have called me last night." Ziva tried not to yell. "What do you plan to do when Gibbs gets here."
"Uh, we hadn't quite figured that part out yet." Tim was updating his search while he spoke.
"Which one of you is going to tell him?" They both looked at her pleadingly. "Oh, no. Gibbs is the type to kick the messenger. I do not think so."
"Kill the messenger, Ziva. Kill the messenger." Tony was fully awake now.
"Well, that depends on the message, DiNozzo." Three heads whipped around at the sound of the voice they had all been dreading. Gibbs stood there, coffee in hand, waiting for an explanation.
"Uh, boss…" Tim stood up so fast the room spun around him. "Uh…"
"Gibbs there is something you need to know." Ziva and Tony both stood but stayed behind their desks. "Perhaps you should sit down first." She tried to sound calm. Gibbs raised an eyebrow.
"I think I'll stand."
"Boss…" Tim summoned all the courage he could. "It's about Brynn." The change on Gibbs' face was immediate. Tim felt his stomach clench.
"What about her?" His voice was impatient.
"Her brother hit her last night." Tim rushed on when Gibbs' face hardened. "He showed up at her house threatening his ex-girlfriend. He demanded money and when Brynn turned him down… He punched her. She blacked out and when she woke up, her car and money were gone."
Gibbs was a statue. His coffee cup fell out of his hand and magically landed right in the trash can next to his desk.
"She came over to my place after it happened and we brought her here."
Gibbs' eyes flashed in confusion.
"We've got a BOLO out on her car and the brother." Tony jumped in. "We're tracing all her credit cards and his. We also put a trace on his cell phone. We've been trying to contact the ex, Jenna Howard. No luck so far."
Gibbs turned to Ziva.
"Where is she now?" Gibbs' voice was barely audible. Ziva looked at Tim.
"She's in the conference room." Tim answered. "She didn't want to go home. But she didn't want to be alone either." Gibbs turned and started to walk away. "Boss wait." Gibbs turned and looked at Tim like he had just lost his mind.
"Wait?" He asked incredulous. Tim left his desk and rushed over to stand next to Gibbs.
"She's scared. I'm not sure of what exactly, but she is. If you go in there mad…"
"I'm not mad at her!"
"I know that. But she needs to know that." Gibbs nodded then left.
In the conference room, Brynn was curled up in one of the chairs facing the big round table. Her arms were wrapped around her legs and her head rested on her knees. He almost didn't want to wake her…
He took a seat in the chair next to her and gently placed his hand on the back of her head. When her face came up, Jethro first saw her puffy, red eyes. Then the bruise on her cheek came into view and Jethro groaned. She looked away.
"Brynn," his voice came out softer than she expected. "Why?" She knew this question was coming. "Why didn't you come to me?" There was no point in lying. He'd see it.
"Because I knew you wouldn't wait for BOLO's and phone traces. You'd just go and kill him. I didn't want you ruining your life because of me."
Damn, she had a point. How could he argue with that?
"And I was.."
"What?" He scooted closer to her.
"Ashamed." She finally looked at him.
"Of what?"
"Being helpless." She sniffed. "There are things you don't know…"
The door to the hall swung open and Tony came swooping in.
"Boss, we found him." Tony's eyes went from Gibbs to Brynn. He exited hastily. Gibbs turned back to Brynn.
"You and I are gonna talk when I get back." He leaned over and kissed her good cheek. "Brynn." He held her face in his hands, making her look at him. "I love you." After one more kiss, he left.
NCISNCISNCIS
The door to the conference room opened again. Brynn untangled herself from the chair and stood. Tony was standing there with his hand still on the door. He beckoned her to follow him.
"Is he here?" Her voice came out steady.
"Yeah, he's in interrogation with Gibbs."
"You put him in there alone with him?" She stopped and turned.
"Tim's in there with him."
"Oh yeah, that makes me feel so much better. Tim would just help hold him down while Jethro pummels him." She muttered and started walking again. "He didn't… Bryan didn't hurt anyone did he?"
"No. Local law enforcement stopped him running a stop sign. They flagged our BOLO and called us." They had made it to the observation room. Tony opened the door and let her in. Ziva was there already, watching Gibbs get warmed up. He hadn't quite started yelling just yet.
"You're already looking at a dishonorable discharge." Gibbs tried to keep himself in control. But the cocky smirk on the other Marine's face was testing every limit Gibbs had. "Not to mention the assault charges, theft, conspiracy to commit murder from that threat you made towards Jenna Howard, and grand theft auto."
"And just plain old, pissing us off." Tim added.
"You'll never make it stick." Bryan grinned up at the glass behind Gibbs. "This all hinges on little sister testifying. She never will. She never could stand up to me." Gibbs jumped out of his chair. Tim made no move to stop him.
Brynn ran out of the observation room. Two seconds later, the door to interrogation swung open. Gibbs was about to yell at whoever had interrupted him. But he froze when he saw Brynn's determined face.
"Give me five minutes." She simply said. It wasn't a request. Tim looked at Gibbs who nodded. They both left.
"I knew you'd probably run and tattle." Bryan said, still smirking in that damn cocky way. "Just like when we were kids right? Didn't do you much good then, won't now."
"Bryan. Shut the hell up." She crossed her arms and stood there calmly. Bryan blanched for a second, then glared.
"What did you say?" He was about to stand but she stepped forward and he slumped back down.
"I said, shut the hell up."
"You little."
"You are gonna listen to what I have to say!" Brynn slammed her hands down on the table in front of her. "I covered for you! I had everyone thinking that you were this great big brother! I lied for you, to everyone! You owe me a little yelling time!" She paused and caught her breath.
"Little sister grew balls." The smirk was back.
"Little sister isn't some scared kid anymore." She took another deep breath. "You were right. There was a time I would have never stood up to you. I dealt with the abuse, just like Mom always dealt with it from Dad. I took everything you threw at me! What you did to me! What you let your friends do to me!"
"Now you wait a second." This time he did stand. "I never touched you like that! Don't you dare accuse me of that filth!"
"But you didn't stop them did you! Did you! I begged you for help but you just stood there on the other side of the door!" Bryan's face went white and he sat back down. "You made me feel like it was m fault. Like I was some dirty thing that needed to be kept hidden." She stepped around the table to stand over him. "I hate you for that. And you will not get away with it anymore." She turned to leave.
"You think your new friends are gonna help you? Once they find out how fucked up you are, they're gonna throw you away just like everyone else! And what will you have then? Nothing but me!" She faced him again.
"You can't do that to me anymore. I'm done with letting you hold me under your thumb. You can't hurt me anymore. I have people who hold me up now. I have people who love me." She smiled, knowing full well the weight of what she had just said was crashing down on Bryan. "What do you have, Bryan? What do you have?" She walked out the door.
The observation room door opened. Ziva, Tony, Tim, and Jethro all stood there gawking at Brynn.
"DiNozzo, McGee, get him outta here." Gibbs said, not taking his eyes off Brynn. The two men left.
"I will go and help them." Ziva muttered and quickly followed the other two. Brynn watched as they entered the other room and hauled her brother away. She didn't move or make a sound until she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her from behind.
"I am so proud of you." Jethro whispered into her ear. She turned in his arms and buried her face in his jacket.
"What happens now?"
"The dirt bag goes to jail." He kissed her temple.
"No, I mean… With us."
"Don't tell me you believed anything he just said to you?" Jethro pulled back to look at her face. She was on the verge of tears again.
"No, but… I lied to you. I know how you feel about." He cut her off.
"Do you know how I feel about you? Do you have any idea how much I love you? What I'd do for you?" He kissed her lips. "I realize having someone give a damn about you is a new concept for you, but… You can't think I'd leave you just for omitting the fact that your brother is a complete bastard." He kissed her again. "Brynn, you're everything to me."
"I love you too, Jethro."
"Rule 52. Never mess with Gibbs' coffee mistress."
"Gibbs' what?"
They both smiled.