NCIS: Gibbs and Todd
Season: One
Episode: Up to and including Reveille
Scene: Missing scene – Gibbs checks on Kate
Character POV: Narrator
A/N: I just watched the episode, and as other writers have experienced, I could not do anything else but march right over to my computer.
The Special Agent still could not understand the depths that people to go in the effort to protect what they believe. She sat in a room with the director briefing him of her latest experience with a man everyone thought to be a terrorist. Instead, the smiling bastard with kind eyes was a friend of the U.S. The tension between her eyes only intensified.
She did not know how long she sat there; she only knew the director informed her to go home and rest. He gave her no additional time off, just the afternoon to recuperate. She gathered her things, her weapon and her badge and headed for the doors. She considered stopping at her desk for a couple of things, but did not want to face the rest of her team.
She made it to the elevator without interruption. As the doors opened, her breath stuck in her throat. His blue eyes, always potent with the passion of his job held even deeper emotions. Those blue eyes stared right through her, keeping her rooted to the spot. His arm reached out quickly to draw her into the elevator before the doors closed between them.
Agent Gibbs saw again the dream he could not deny. It was a premonition of what could have happened. If anything happened to the brown-haired woman standing beside him it would be the end of his world. He watched as she chose the ground floor and the elevator began to move. He wanted time to stop.
Instead, he made the elevator stop. Just as he did before with the FBI agent, he turned the key to halt the elevator's descent. She did not ask him what he was doing. She too wanted time to stop. She had her own dream that had played out that day; being kidnapped again by that brilliantly crazy bastard called friend.
She was a tough woman. She had to be to become the best and be awarded her place on Air Force One. She did not request nor seek comfort. However, she found herself wanting comfort. He was there, waiting for her.
As she moved toward him, he placed his back to the elevator wall and enveloped her in his arms. They both drew in a deep breath and slowly let it loose together. He had been an absolute bear to everyone he knew. He had gone through three divorces because of his determined nature. He knew the woman before him stood tall regardless of his bastard-like tendencies. He needed to let her know he cared about her safety. He just could not voice that now, not after having just been in the room where his nightmare continued to play out. All he could do now was offer as much comfort in as little time as possible.
Agent Todd lifted her head, "I've been ordered to go home and rest," she said.
Agent Gibbs nodded and blinked his eyes to welcome back reality. "I have a report to file," he answered back with slight creep of twitch to his lips. It was his trademark look when he was secretly amused by something he absolutely refused to tell anyone about.
"I'll have strong coffee waiting," she offered.
"I'll be there as soon as I'm done," he acknowledged.
He reached over to turn the key, starting the elevator again. His other arm remained around her as she placed her head back on his shoulder. They took the few seconds they had to bask in each other's embrace. The elevator doors opened, and he let her walk through and start down the hall. He was about to get his ass chewed, but it was an ass chewing he was very willing to take. He would take anything to keep her safe.