DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NCIS OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!
FREAKY DAY
Tim McGee laid in the motel bed nervous about his bed mate. It was no one's fault that the case had turned into an all-nighter. Their prime witness was delayed en route to the Marine base and wouldn't be arriving until early in the morning. It was no one's fault that there were only two rooms available at the motel. One had two twin beds and the other had a double bed. The boss had determined who shared a room with whom, so Tim could hold him responsible but he surely wasn't going to say anything to him.
His bed mate wasn't nervous, or at least didn't show any outward signs of it. Not surprising really. Nervousness was something rarely expressed. The other side of the bed dipped and the light was turned out. As Tim was beginning to relax he heard a sigh behind him and a complaint soon followed.
"Switch sides McGee," was the grumble.
"Why? I'm comfortable," he argued. Despite his unease he was tired and just wanted to fall asleep, hopefully before the snoring began.
"I need to be on that side."
Deciding sleep would come faster if he just complied; Tim got up and moved around to the other side. As soon as the other side was vacated he laid down and made himself as comfortable as possible. It was awkward at first, but finally fatigue won out and he drifted off to sleep.
The alarm clock's beeping woke him. As he stretched out to silence it, he felt a bit disorientated. He sat up swinging his legs to the side of the bed and rubbing his face. Something was definitely wrong. The groaning behind him alerted him to just what that something was.
Somehow during the course of the night he'd not only switched back to the original side of the bed, but switched the body he was sleeping in. Turning he watched himself get up, but knew somehow a different somebody was now inhabiting it. He took a look down at his own self and realized he was in the body of his teammate.
The same realization was taking place on the other side of the bed. Each looked at the other confused and more than a little upset.
"McGee what have you done? Why am I in your body?"
"I-I don't know. There m-must be a sim-imple expl-lanation som-somehow," he sputtered.
"I hope for your sake there is," his teammate glared at him.
"Listen," he calmed himself so he could think, "I didn't do anything. This has to be some sort of freak accident."
"Do you suppose others have changed as well? Gibbs?"
Wide-eyed Tim hoped that wouldn't be the case. The thought of Gibbs and their other teammate switching bodies was more than he could begin to fathom.
"Let's try to make the most of this and hopefully it'll correct itself soon," Tim tried to console, not sure himself what could've caused the switch or how it could be reversed.
"What is the most to be made from this?" clearly not ready to accept the situation and move on Tim could only respond with a sigh and a shrug.
"We're going to have to change and meet up with Gibbs," he stated trying to take the focus off the problem that couldn't be fixed immediately. "If we're not out there he's going to barge in here and make our day a lot worse."
"How could it be worse?" the despair was setting in.
"A few smacks to the back of our heads for one," Tim pointed out. "Quite frankly I'd rather not have to try and explain this to him, or anyone else for that matter."
"You have a point there. Fine, I do not want you touching any part of MY body unnecessarily," his partner threatened.
Tim wanted to roll his eyes, but decided agreeing would move things along faster.
Each agent managed to get dressed in the unfamiliar clothing and exited the motel room before Gibbs and his room mate. They put their bags in the trunk and watched as the two other agents emerged from their room.
"About time you two came out," Tim heard his voice say. He gave his partner a glare to stop the antagonizing, but Gibbs' reaction came faster.
"You have a problem McGee?" he glared.
Fortunately Tim saw the tension break from his body.
"No I would just like to get this case over and get home."
Gibbs gave a curt nod looking at the agent he had to share the room with, "You're not alone there," he said under his breath.
Gibbs' room mate looked intently at the other agents. Something was off about them. But what? The both appeared a bit distracted and not quite as interactive as they normally were. Having to ask the question arose, "What's up with you two? Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something?"
Tim's eyebrows narrowed and his partner's opened a little wider wondering if that could be the answer.
"Let's go," Gibbs ordered tossing Tim the keys. Tony moaned and Ziva looked miffed.
"Why does Tim get to drive?" Ziva demanded getting only a raised eyebrow in response.
Tony looked sternly at Tim, "You better not get us killed."
"Relax Tony and enjoy the ride," Tim smirked.
Gibbs got in and tried to wait patiently for his agents to get into the car; meanwhile observing them closely. There was definitely something 'hinky' going on. He watched Tim get into the driver's seat and before everyone was buckled, he hit the gas and turned quickly onto the street causing all the riders to fall to the side.
"Easy McSpeedy," was heard from the back seat. Tim smirked in response. Gibbs glared. Something was definitely HINKY.
Tires squealed into the parking lot at the base a mere hundred yards from the guarded post where they were stopped to show ID. The riders exited looking queasy.
"Boss, please tell me someone else is driving back?"
"I'll drive," Gibbs looked ready to smack his agent, but wanted to get the interview over with and return home.
Tim in his partner's body alternated between glaring and holding his tongue not sure what to say at all, but moaned at the thought of Gibbs behind the wheel. "Thank you Tim," he managed to sneer. All he got in response was a smirk and a shrug.
When the witness was sitting alone in the room Gibbs sent Tony in to question first. He was able to get very little from him, so Gibbs asked Ziva to go in. Not being like the interview rooms at NCIS they couldn't see and hear what was being said, but she came out looking less than happy. "He says he will only talk with his lawyer present."
"This is ridiculous," Tim uttered, "Let's go in."
Gibbs nodded his head for him to go ahead, set back by his authoritative stance. After ten minutes had passed, Tim exited looking rather smug.
"You got him to talk?" Tony asked impressed.
"Only took a little persuasion," Tim smiled.
Ziva looked doubtful. "What did you do to him?" she asked.
"McGee got the witness to cooperate," Gibbs waited for Vance's reaction and wasn't surprised by it.
"McGee? How'd he do it? He's the last one I'd expect to get someone to crack."
Gibbs couldn't really answer him. He'd like to know himself how his most mild mannered agent convinced the witness to spill all the details they needed. He drove speedily, but in a safer manner than Tim had, getting them back to Washington in time for lunch.
Eying his agents he beckoned Tim to join him.
Surprise evident on his face, he watched his partners leave him behind; one looking particularly warily. Gibbs noticed, of course, and tried to decipher the silent conversation taking place between the two agents.
Once they were alone, Gibbs sat behind his desk pointedly ignoring Tim who stood waiting. After a minute had passed, he couldn't stand the waiting any longer. "Gibbs are we going for lunch or not?" he asked.
Gibbs looked up, "Right. Lunch. Why don't you run out and pick us up some?"
"I could have gone with the others if you only wanted something brought back for you," he huffed heading out.
Gibbs nodded. He saw the problem, but darn if he cold explain what made it happen. He only knew it had to be remedied quickly.
While Tim was gone the other two agents returned. When going to sit down, Gibbs noticed one of them heading toward Tim's desk. "Something wrong with your desk?" he asked confirming his deduction had been correct.
"Uh- no Boss. I just left something... Oh here it is," was sputtered before heading over to the other desk.
When Tim returned with lunch he set Gibbs' bag down in front of him and took a step toward the desk where lunch was normally eaten, but corrected himself to go to the desk across from Gibbs hoping no one noticed.
Standing abruptly Gibbs indicated that Tim and Ziva follow him. Looking at each other shrugging they followed. Once in an empty and unmonitored interrogation room he got down to the matter.
"I don't know what went on last night, but this stops now!"
What- Boss?" Ziva asked hesitantly.
"That," Gibbs threw his hand in the air toward them, "you acting like Tim. Tim acting like you."
Ziva's hand went to her forehead. "Geez Ziva he knows." That earned her a glare from Tim.
"How could he know?" he asked disbelievingly.
"First, he's Gibbs," Ziva pointed out. "And second, I wouldn't talk the way you do. Let's not even mention how you probably tortured the witness to get him to talk."
Tim smirked, "I was persuasive, but there was no torture I assure you."
"Alright!" Gibbs interrupted. "What did you two do last night?"
"Nothing Boss," Ziva was quick to answer. "We went to bed."
"I was uncomfortable so I asked to switch sides," Tim added.
Gibbs humphed, "So you did wake up on the wrong side of the bed."
"Apparently," Ziva answered unable to explain further. "I woke up in Ziva's body on the side of the bed I always sleep."
"It doesn't make sense," Gibbs ran his hand through his hair.
His two confused agents nodded in agreement.
"Well let's go back out there and maybe a solution will arise."
As Tim and Ziva walked ahead of Gibbs toward the door they each received a not so gentle whack to the back of their heads.
Immediately their hands went up to rub the soreness away.
"What did you do that for Boss?" Tim asked and smiled hearing his voice as he spoke.
Ziva smiled too despite the throbbing under her palm.
The three smiled, though Gibbs' was much more subdued as they walked back into the bullpen. Tony looked up to see if his partners had gotten into some trouble with the boss and was thrown by their smiles.
"What are you both so happy about?" he asked hoping he hadn't missed out on something.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you Tony," Tim answered.
"Yes Tony. You would not get the jest of it," she smirked turning to her desk.
"I think you mean gist of it," Tony corrected pouting.
"Perhaps you are right," Ziva answered.
"Don't worry DiNozzo. I just had to knock a little sense into them," Gibbs smirked.