Rule 38: Your case, your lead.

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS, it is the property of it's respective creators.

Gibbs sat back at his chair, hands folded behind his grey hair with his piercing blue eyes looking up to the ceiling. He was really proud of Tony, he had closed the case and he himselfwouldn't have done a thing different.

Yes, Tony had needed a little pep talk when he was about to lose it, but he knew that his senior field agent felt extremely guilty for putting an innocent man in prison. He had been there as well. His mind wandered of in the dusky office, thinking back to his own first solved case, sixteen long years ago.

Franks had called in sick that morning, leaving Jethro to lead the MCRU. He was now leader of himself and a junior field agent named Agnes Clamsy. She had been a large, strong and intimidating woman, but a surprisingly good actress. `

Jethro suspected that Franks hadn't really had a bad case of the flu. It was more likely an awful hangover or a pretty blond, but he didn't complain. It had been his time to shine.

Too bad for him not a single case had come up and when the day had ended he went home to his wife. Soon to be ex-wife number one.

The next morning Franks had still been sick, and luckily for Jethro around ten that morning a call came in. Apparently a marine was missing. Gibbs and Agnes had traveled to themarine's wife. Gibbs had driven while Agnes had held on for dear life.

The woman was near hysterical and screaming that someone must have hurt her Freddy. Gibbs didn't like crying woman, so he let Agnes conduct the interview. Not that she was good with crying woman, but she was the probie, and so she was stuck with the jobs no one wanted.

The marine was Fred Brother, a twenty-seven year old petty officer. There had been nothing special in his record. He was around six foot tall, with brown eyes and a bald head. He had been wearing his navy uniform the day he disappeared.

Meanwhile Gibbs was looking around the house with an evidence kit, dusting for fingerprints at windows and looking for shoeprints in the garden. He had hoped that he would find a clue, but the entire area was clear. No sign of the missing petty officer or of an abductor.

Agnes had reported back to him, the wife was mostly upset, her husband was always faithful, and he had a low risk job. Gibbs gave the woman his business card and told her he would do everything he could to find her husband. They had gone to bed together and the next morning he was gone without a note. He had seemed a little quiet that night, but she did most of the talking anyway.

The rest of the day he and Agnes had spend searching for the missing man; putting out BOLO's and Gibbs went to visit his C.O. At the end of the day there had still been no sign of the missing marine and Gibbs went home, a little frustrated that it hadn't going as well as he hoped.

The next day Franks was back at work and he didn't even asked Jethro if something had happened, he was just his usual, grumpy self. He had sat down at his desk and barked orders with red, bloodshot eyes.

The 'ding' of the elevator pulled Gibbs out of his daydreaming, the night janitor passing with his supply car.

DiNozzo had done really good, maybe he should go over tonight and tell him that. He gathered his stuff and walked to elevator. When the elevator doors closed he decided that it wouldn't be that good of an idea after all. The man was cocky enough as it was. He went to his car and during his ride home he recalled what had happened after that.

At seven minutes after eleven a.m. that morning a call came in on the BOLO, a person had seen their petty officer on a rooftop, ready to jump. He remembered that day like it was yesterday.

Franks had driven them to the crime scene and reported them to the local LEO's. When one of them had asked who the lead agent was, Franks had pointed to Gibbs, who looked at him with big eyes.

"Your case, your lead," was all Franks had said. It took Gibbs a few minutes to overcome the shock, but soon after that he was handing out orders like it was his second nature.

It had taken him a little over an hour to talk the man off the roof. It turned out that he had found out that his wife was cheating at him with his brother. But at that moment he, Gibbs,hadn't really cared. The only thing that mattered to him was that Franks had trusted him with the lead on this case. He had been so happy that he made it his newest rule.

Rule #38: Your case, your lead.