Title: Off Duty
Fandom: NCIS
Author: alidiabin
Disclaimers: I own nothing.
Words: 600
Pairings/Characters: Gibbs/Rachel Cranston
Warnings/Spoilers/Rating: none || Up to and including 9x24 || PG
Summary: Rachel comes to check if Gibbs is okay.
Off Duty
The basement is quiet. Gibbs preferred it that way. After the tough few weeks the team has had, he just needed time to collect his thoughts. He needed time to process everything that has been doing on; from Dearing, to Ryan leaving to Ducky'sbrush with death. He needed time to think it all through and to soothe the raging emotions inside of him.
He is sanding his latest project in the basement, when he hears the creaking of the basement steps indicating intrusion to his little sanctuary. He expected to find one of team standing at the top of the stairs, maybe a distressed Abby or a an self-blaming Tony. He turned his head and found a surprise standing on the stairs. Rachel Cranston stood with a jacket in one hand and a paperbag with groceries in the other.
"Dr. Cranston," Gibbs muttered as she walked down the steps.
"You can call me Rachel, I'm off-duty," Rachel uttered as she rested the coat on the banister and placed the Chinese food on the counter. "I heard about the explosion. I came to see if you needed my services."
"Thought you said you were off-duty," Gibbs responded as he moved toward the bag of food, while his stomach rumbled.
"My job is like yours," she replied, "I'm never off-duty. How is the team?"
"A few cuts and bruises, Ziva has a concussion." Gibbs uttered, he noticed Rachels expression changed as he mentioned Ziva. Her eyes drifted to that spot in Gibbs basement. The spot where Ari stood as he took his last breath.
"I heard about Ducky?" Rachel interrupted as she turned away from that spot and returned her gaze to Gibbs.
"Yeah," Gibbs replied, thinking of his dear friend, who had been so close to death. "They're flying him back up to DC when his condition stabilizes."
"And you?" Rachel asked, prompting the older man for more than just his physical ailments.
"Fine doc," he countered adding in fake smile for effect.
"Gibbs," she purred as she leaned over to grab some of the noodles from the container.
He shovels food into his mouth, using it as a way to prevent Rachel from asking him questions, but Rachel knows his method and has already worked out his next move, so she changes the subject.
"I heard Ryan left," she muttered trying to hide her glee at the prospect.
"She did," Gibbs reported as he drank some bourbon from a Mason jar, to wash down his noodles. He offered the bottle out to Rachel.
"No thank you, I am driving," she replied as she picked up a bottle of water from her oversized handbag.
"Never picked you for a Girl Scout," Gibbs declared as she put the water bottle away.
"I wasn't," she responded, caught off guard by his inference.
"You always this prepared," Gibbs asked as she picked out a handkerchief from her purse, causing another look from Gibbs.
"I had three brothers and a sister," she paused as she thought of Kate for a split second, "I quickly learnt to take everything with you when you went out. We always managed to get hurt or dirty, mom hated it."
Gibbs smiled at the surprise discussion of Rachel's family. She so seldom discussed anything about her own life, she seemed to interested in getting him to open up.
Rachel laughed as the banter continued. She hoped it would lead to more talking, more explanation about Ryan's self-imposed banishment from his life. She waited for him to tell her. So she could work out exactly where she fit in now.