Tigger and Jethro.
It had been one of those hot, hot days of the summer, the kind that stifles you. The humidity...the air burning your lungs, drowning on land.
Gibbs had arrived home early afternoon. He needed a shower and a change of shirt. He had sent the team home for a couple of hours rest, shower, fatigue time. The case they were working on tough, a high school bus blown apart, the victims, a girl basket-ball team, many of the girls, the daughters of Marine and Navy Officers. The coach, one Drill Instructor, Gemma Wallace. Gibbs knew Tim was taking it hard, his sister. It reminded him of when his sister had thought she had killed the sailor. There were many avenues to explore, all the victim's families and of course the Drill Sergeant. Gibbs parked up and leaving the window open for air, made his way inside.
It was a hot day and cats' don't do hot, FiFi had found a cool spot in the rhubarb and was dozing the day away, but Tigger was bored as in bored, I could chase my tail bored, bored as in lets pounce on FiFi, bored as in lets climb the curtains bored….
"Tigger….can you not settle." Kitty Stevens has shouted.
Tigger bored with Kitty's shouting decided she would go and visit Gibbs. She liked him , he was a no nonsense kinda man but Tigger being Tigger, and a cat, could sometimes get the better of him. She arrived at his house. His car was in the drive, she jumped on the bonnet, it was still warm, and then she spied the open window. Now, as much as she had hated the car journey the last time, she did enjoy riding shotgun. She slipped through the open window and curled up in the rear footwell.
"Sorry boy….can't take you with me." Tim said looking at the Alsatian, "I know it is hot for you today and Mrs Jools is good taking you in during the day, but we have a difficult case. Remember Sarah? Well a bus with girls like her was blown up."
Butch's head moved to the side at Sarah's name, he like her, he whined and held up a paw.
"No Sarah isn't dead."
Butch woofed.
"Ok if you promise and I mean promise, to behave."
Jethro lay down and covered his nose with his paws and whined.
"Ok, promise to stay in the car, or on the leash." As Butch jumped up and licked Tim's face, "Hey easy on boy." as Butch headed for the car.
Gibbs refreshed, walked to the car and opened the door. Tigger was in one of those deep, deep, cat coma type sleeps. Her dreams of chasing bad guys and dogs. The purring of the engine made her start to purr…..she opened her eyes and meowed.
Gibbs almost crashed the car, as a small furry ball of muscle launched herself from behind the passengers' seat and landed in the front.
"TIGGER." Gibbs shouted.
"MEOWWEW." Tigger shouted back.
"Ok, ok I can't take you home, and I haven't a carrier…hey paws off the dash…..behave." as Tigger sat back, or should that be, lay, the paws over the front seat. She looked at Gibbs who called Kitty.
They arrived at Rocky Creek Park, a call had come in from one of the Rangers at Dumbarton Park, a wilderness area of some 27 acres, he had found the burnt out vehicle of one Staff Sergeant Brendon Crawford. There also seemed to have been a camp site.
"Stay." Gibbs growled at Tigger, who did her impression of unimpressed, she appeared to cross her eyes, crossed her paws and stuck out her pink tongue. Gibbs smiled at her, turned and walked over to where Ziva and Tony were.
"Where's McGee." He shouted.
"Soooo….sorry Jethro….I mean Boss….I mean Jethro, Butch." As he ran towards the team, he was followed by the Alsatian.
"McGee?" Gibbs eye twitched as he looked at the dog, who sat and offered a paw.
"Sorry, it's hot and Mrs Taylor has a date tonight." Tim began to say.
"A hot date I hope." Tony whispered to Ziva, receiving a slap on the head.
"I will put Jethro on the lead, I could keep him in the car but it is hot and he is an animal, I'll make sure he behaves."
Gibbs could only hope that Tigger didn't get out or else all hell would break loose.
"Ok, he stays, but leash him, and muzzle." Gibbs snapped.
"Thank you, Boss," as Tim put the lead on Butch.
"Ok David, what we you so far?" as Gibbs turned to Ziva.
"Brendon Crawford, Gemma's boyfriend, bomb disposal….which is why the vehicle is a bit of a mess. Two of the girls' fathers were in the same Unit, and one of the girl's mothers was having an affair with a Navy Captain." Ziva answered looking at her notes.
Butch looked about, although Tim had put the lead on him and muzzled, Tim was too busy looking about, in the vehicle and taking pictures. Jethro decided he was bored and would go and look for some evidence too.
Tigger was bored, again, why, had she decided to tag along, oh yes the moving car and the man Gibbs wouldn't take her home. She stood and stretched her back arched, she needed a widdle, and the bushes looked good. She jumped out the window, and made her way to the bushes.
Jethro was snuffling about and then he sniffed the air. Cat, he liked cats, they were fun, and they ran away when chased. He went to investigate.
Now Tigger had done her business and was carefully pawing the ground hiding the evidence, she didn't hear or smell Jethro approach and as the dog watched, Tigger backed into the muzzle of Jethro. She hissed and turned and swiped the poor dogs' nose. Jethro whined and sat down. That wasn't what he expected. Tigger sat down and looked at the dog. Butch cocked his head, so did Tigger, and then the other way, so did Tigger. By now she saw that the muzzle had not been tightened, she scratched her neck, and wiped her face. Jethro beginning to feel a game coming on did the same. This loosened the muzzle, Tigger did again, as did Jethro, and then the muzzle fell off. Tigger licked the dogs' nose, as if to say sorry.
Jethro pawed Tigger who rolled onto her back. The dog went flat, while Tigger rose and ran off. Jethro barked and followed.
"Jethro…Jethro where are you?" Tim shouted looking about, where had the dog gone.
"You want something Timmy?" Gibbs snarled.
"Boss it's Jethro…I mean Butch. He's gone…..wandered off."
"Thought I told you to keep him leached."
"He was Boss and muzzled." as Tim started looking for the dog.
"David, DiNozzo, what you got….." Gibbs shouted.
"We found a camp site and the embers would appear to be still warm, so 30 mins max." Tony replied, walking to Gibbs, "Ziva is still there waiting."
Meanwhile Tigger and Jethro were playing chase me, chase me. Tigger ran into some bushes and waited, but Jethro had a scent, a smell, he sniffed the air. He woofed and Tiggs came out from under the bush. They looked about and then with a "Meoww" dashed back into the bushes and began to crawl out backwards dragging a scarf.. "Woof " as Jethro started to rack in the bushes and began to drag out a bag.
"Oi…..what you doing?" they heard a man shout. Tigger who had turned launched herself at the man's throat knocking him to the ground. As he tried to tear the creature from his throat, Tiggs scratched his face, and then ran off. The man followed. Jethro started barking before he too followed, continuing to bark hoping Tim was nearby.
McGee heard the barking, "It's Jethro…sorry Butch, he's calling."
"Calling McGee?" Ziva laughed "and you talk about me."
"Ok, he's trying to catch our attention….."Tim replied.
"Tigger," Gibbs shouted as he turned and raced back to the car, to find it empty.
As the three began to run to the noise, the sight they saw was priceless. There was Tigger up a tree doing an impression of a Cheshire cat, while the bad guy Brendon was trying to climb, Jethro on the other hand, had other ideas, he was trying to grab the man by the trousers.
Gibbs returned to find the three agents laughing, and Tony taking a photo.
Gibbs smiled and said, "Sometimes animals do come in handy."
THE END
