Arms of My Brother
"My love is like a red red nose, that gently streams in January………. Will love you 'til all the tissues all run dry." Tony murmured looking at Ziva.
"That Tony, is the worst Burns I have ever heard," Dr Mallard replied as he entered the bullpen. "I was thinking of having a Burns night but…….."
"Burn what Duks?" Agent Gibbs replied, who carrying a coffee, joined the conversation.
"I was just saying to Tony, that I was thinking of having a Rabbie Burns evening……plenty whisky for you Jethro."
"Dill do all shub ub pleeze, " Ziva sniffed and snuffled.
"Temp, Probie?" DiNozzo sneered.
"Below min temperature," he answered staring at the computer screen.
"Boss can we go home? It's a bit cold." DiNozzo now enquired.
"Nope, and you should try Moscow, in the winter." Gibbs replied sitting at his desk. "Could make you go to the gym…….or chase some bad guys." he now said looking as warm as toast. "You over-ride the heating system McGee?"
"Tried Boss……..blew a fuse……..the heating company say they are going to sue………and so keeping us on ice….so to speak."
"Not funny McGee." Gibbs retorted.
"Could sit in a car, the parking lot with the heating on" Tony ventured, thinking of the Baltimore winters, when it was warmer to sit in the car.
"I would go hobe, but it's warber here." Ziva spluttered, snuffling into a tissue.
"Here have a slug of this," Gibbs replied, handing her his hipflask
"Bug, woobd bather hab lighter fuel or cobier cleaber." Ziva replied sneezing again.
"Ah yes tried that once, the copier cleaner, pure alcohol, very nice with fresh orange……..just don't smoke afterwards." Tony replied laughing.
"DiNozzo are you always full of great ideas?………Tim get the copier cleaner….Ziva the orange juice…….I have the lighter." producing his Zippo from his pocket, and flicking it on, "We'll set fire to Tony." now smiling the Gibbs smile. "That should keep us warmer. You're sometimes full of hot air."
"I…….I was only joking Boss………" Tony stammered.
As Gibbs raised his left eyebrow. "Do you think I was?" now looking at Tony.
"No Boss……….I………"
"Agent Gibbs, my office now." they heard a voice from the top of the stairs. Gibbs looked up to the voice and saw Vance glaring down…….just as the lights dimmed, and flashed on and off for a second.
****
Gibbs entered the room and shut the door behind himself. The lighting flickered again, before going out completely. Gibbs took out his Zippo and flicked it on.
"Got a candle Leon? Late Director used to keep them in the bottom drawer. Don't suppose you still have them."
"Not funny Gibbs. I didn't invite you in for a candle-lit soiree. Wanted to ask what you intend to do with Ziva. She can't stay here infecting everyone, but she can't go home either…………and how's the Jeffries case progressing?"
"Ziva says she's staying, warmer here….as for the Jeffries case, McGee was working on it when the power began to fail…….." Gibbs replied.
"Well it a seems to have completely failed this time, and the back up generator has not kicked in…………and will you stop flicking that lighter on and off…….."
"My finger's getting hot" Gibbs replied, "And you said you didn't have candles." just as Vance leant into his drawer and produced a flash torch, there was a knock on the door and it opened .
"Cub quib……..Toby and Tib………."
"What or who are they today. The gruesome twosome or Tweedlemcgeek and Twiddledidumb?" Vance now shouted.
"Bibbs." Ziva muttered indicating that they come quickly.
The two men ran from the office. Vance torch in hand, showed the way. The three got to the top of the stairs and looked down over the rail. Vance shining the light over the bullpen. What they saw was not a pretty sight. Vance looking away with a smirk on his face, handed the torch to Gibbs who shone it down. They looked down in horror at the events unfolding below. Tony was sitting up, his legs out in front of him. Tim's head was lying cradled, in Tony's arms. Tim was out cold. Gibbs smiled.
"Gonna tell me what happened?………Or do I just not want to know?" he enquired, shining the torch into Tony's face. He saw the start of a bruise beginning to form and the blood starting to run from his nose.
"Not again" he thought, wondering if the nose was broken. But as he now shone the torch into Tim's face, he saw the bruise start to form on the forehead, but what looked really good was the smile on Tim's lips, that was beginning to form. Oh yes he really was in the arms of his brother.
"What happened Ziva?" he asked looking at her.
"They were both going for the torch in your drawer, when I heard a crack. I looked across and they were lying like that." as she pointed to the two men.
Gibbs and Vance could only look down and smile.