Elevator Confessions III – The Last Straw
Disclaimer: Not my characters, no infringement intended.
Rating: T for mild language
Pairings: Canon pairing of Jimmy and Lee portrayed, though this isn't a shipper fic
Summary: The team conspires repair the broken friendship between Ducky and Gibbs
Author's Note: This is obviously set in the fourth season, it's a second sequel to Elevator Confessions. Curious readers can find it by searching my profile. The first sequel, dealing with Ziva and Abby, is posted as a second chapter to the original story, which is about Tony and McGee. This one is my speculation on why Ducky and Gibbs are so pissy with eachother lately.
Chapter 1 – Enough is Enough
Jimmy Palmer stared in extreme annoyance at the retreating back of his boss and mentor, Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard, the older man leaving autopsy in the pissy huff that had become far too routine of late. The young man reached up and ran his hands through his loose dark curls in a frustrated gesture, counting to ten and summoning all of his patience to calm himself down.
Maybe he was still just a lowly assistant – granted he would someday be a real doctor, which would improve his rank and position drastically – but this whole situation with Gibbs and Dr. Mallard had gone too far, and it was beginning to affect how he was being treated on the job. Lowly assistant or not, Jimmy Palmer was nobody's whipping boy.
Jimmy sighed loudly in exasperation and sat down, pursing his lips slightly in thought. He looked up as he heard the doors open, and Special Agent Michelle Lee strolled in.
"Hey hon, that kiss for me?" she smiled. Jimmy glanced over her and grinned as best he could.
"Hey You. It could be, if you want." He smiled at her as she leaned in for the promised kiss. Jimmy smiled at her briefly as she pulled back, before his expression turned serious again.
"I was just thinking. Dr. Mallard is getting to be insufferably cranky these days. This feud or what ever the hell it is he's got going on with Gibbs has gone on for far too long. If I had a dollar for every time he's given me attitude lately I could pay off half of my student loans on the spot."
Michelle wheeled a stool over towards Jimmy, and braced herself by grasping the steel autopsy table with one hand, to keep herself from landing on the floor should the wheeled stool scoot out from under her. She delicately perched herself up onto it, and then reached over and draped an arm around Jimmy's waist, using him as an anchor to pull herself closer to him, and rested her head on his shoulder. She sighed softly as Jimmy gently draped his arm around her. Michelle smiled slightly as she became lost in thought for a moment. Finally, after a few seconds of contemplation, she spoke again.
"Ziva once told me that Gibbs, Tony and Tim locked her and Abby in the elevator once, when she first arrived. They weren't getting along very well and the guys had had enough of the dirty looks and the catfights. Well, not catfights exactly… but they came close once or twice."
Jimmy nodded. "I remember that. I also seem to remember once when Kate Todd suggested to Gibbs that they lock Tim and Tony up too. They weren't playing nice either, for awhile there. In fact I think that's where they got the idea to lock Ziva and Abby up so they'd iron out the wrinkles."
"Maybe we should talk to the others about this. We all love Ducky, Jimmy. I wasn't a member of Tony's team for long but I got close enough to Ducky to really care about him. I don't like seeing him so bitter all the time either." She closed her eyes briefly as Jimmy softly touched her forehead with a slightly lingering whisper of a kiss. He sighed, sounding tired, as he rested his chin on the top of her head.
"Oh, Michelle, you should try working with Dr. Mallard when he's like this. He's ornery and cranky and he's getting increasingly difficult to deal with. Normally I consider myself to be a patient man, but this is taking me to the limit. I wonder if Gibbs' team feels the same way."
"Well honey, I've pretty well caught up in legal for the day. I can leave early and join you in the squad room, if you'd like to run it by them." Michelle looked up at Jimmy with a mischievous smile.
Jimmy grinned genuinely for the first time in days. "It's a date, Sweets."