Title: Team adventure
Character(s): Gibbs, Tony, McGee, Jimmy, Vance
Pairing(s): none
Genre(s): Humor
Episode(s): Set post S6 but no specific spoilers
Crossover(s): n/a
Word Count: approx 1,500

Disclaimer: These characters belong to DPB, CBS, Paramount, et al. No copyright infringement is intended.

Notes: Written for round 3.03 of the NCIS LFWS community on Livejournal. Prompt was to write about what the team did on their summer vacation.

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With hindsight it was agreed that it had been a mistake to allow Palmer to read the map. In fairness to Gibbs, he had always felt that Ducky must have been exaggerating somewhat when it came to his assistants less than exemplary navigational skills. However Gibbs had been willing to give Palmer the benefit of the doubt, especially when the alternative had been to favor either DiNozzo or McGee and have the other one sulking in the back seat that *they* had definitely called 'shotgun' first.

Of course none of that would have been necessary if they'd been able to avoid this so called 'team bonding experience'. Gibbs didn't know who in Human Resources had come up with the crappy idea in the first place, and if he ever found out, by God he would make their lives a misery. But for better or for worse, it seemed like every team in NCIS was being required to take a vacation together just as soon as their schedules permitted.

Through a combination of luck, timing, and in one case managing to drag out a relatively straightforward case for just long enough to miss the booking, Gibbs and his team had dodged the bullet for several months. But their luck couldn't hold out forever, and two days earlier Gibbs had been called into Vance's office and informed that it was the turn of his team. With no other option, Gibbs had played his trump card and reminded Vance that the 'experience' required teams of four, and he was still working with just DiNozzo and McGee.

Vance had then played *his* trump card, and informed Gibbs that Jimmy Palmer was being seconded to the team to make up the numbers. "Doctor Mallard seems to think that it'd do him good to interact with the team in a social setting," he had said with what appeared to be a trace of glee. And that had been the end of the discussion.

Gibbs had taken some comfort from the look of shock on Palmer's face when he'd been informed of his new vacation plans. It had been almost the same look as had been on McGee's face when he'd been told that the cabin they were staying in wouldn't have internet access, and on Tony's when he'd been told there'd be no TV or DVD player.

Nobody had pointed out to Gibbs that he'd had a similar expression on *his* face when he'd read the rules about no alcohol.

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Getting to the cabin was the first 'experience'. While McGee bemoaned the lack of a GPS, and Tony the lack of any decent music to listen to, Jimmy tried to unwrap himself from the various maps that purported to direct them to their destination.

"You should have let me download proper directions from Google maps," said McGee as they reversed course yet again. "We could have been there hours ago."

"That would be cheating, McSatNav," said Tony, stretching out lazily in the back seat. "We're supposed to be 'getting back to basics'. Learning how to work together as a team, and all that crap." He yawned loudly. "Wake me up when we get there. Or tomorrow morning, whichever comes first."

"I think I know where we went wrong," said Jimmy, as he finally managed to refold the map to a more manageable size.

"Letting you navigate?" muttered McGee.

"We need to take the next left turn off the main road, and we should be there within the hour."

"That's what you said an hour ago," said Tony. "No offence Palmer, but you're about as good at reading maps, as Probie here is at reading women."

"Hey!" said McGee, indignantly. "I can so read women."

"Yeah, when it's all laid out in a character bio on one of your role playing dealies, *Elf Lord*. Too bad for you that real women don't come with an instruction manual."

"Well at least I'd be able to understand it if they did."

"Are you saying that I'm stupid?"

"If the cap fits, Tony. Ouch! Stop that!"

There was a sudden squeal of brakes and all four occupants of the car lurched forward against their seat belts. Tony and McGee looked up to see Gibbs half turned around in his seat and glaring at them.

"If I hear one more word out of either of you, you are *both* going to be spending the rest of the journey in the trunk. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Gibbs," said McGee. "Yes Boss," said Tony, simultaneously.

Gibbs turned around and settled himself back in his seat. He was just about to pull back into the traffic when he heard a small voice from beside him.

"Um, Agent Gibbs? Would this be a bad time to tell you that you just missed the turn off?"

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"Oh you have got to be kidding me." Tony dropped his backpack on the ground and looked gloomily at the cabin in front of him. After finally managing to arrive at their destination, they'd had to hike through the woods for half an hour following a (fortunately) well-marked trail, before arriving at what was to be their home for the rest of the week.

Beside him, Jimmy took off his glasses and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Oh, well maybe it looks better on the inside."

"Just so long as there's indoor plumbing," said Tony. "And a proper shower." He sniffed under one arm and grimaced.

"And separate bedrooms," said McGee. He shrugged off his backpack and stretched his aching muscles.

"And proper heating," said Palmer. The other two looked at him, Tony pointedly wiping sweat off his forehead and flicking it in his direction. "At night," said Jimmy quickly. "Temperature drops quickly once the sun goes down."

"No central heating," said Gibbs, who didn't seem to have broken a sweat on the trek. He also seemed to have been unbothered by flies and insects.

Which was hardly surprising thought Tony as he batted away yet another winged critter. What bug in its right mind would go near Gibbs, especially when there was plenty of other prey around.

"No electricity at all," said McGee, having scanned the horizon in vain for any sign of power lines. "Unless there's an underground line?" he added hopefully.

Gibbs shook his head. "Not according to the brochure. There's a gas stove for cooking, a few battery operated lights. Fireplace in the main room if we want heating. DiNozzo, you're on firewood collection duty."

"Me? Why can't McGee do it, he was a scout."

"Because you're the one who likes campfires," said Gibbs, heading for the door.

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In spite of his grumbling, Tony did have to admit that the open fire had been worth the effort of locating enough wood. Even Gibbs seemed to be unwinding a bit as they sat in front of the fireplace telling ghost stories. Of course the bottle of bourbon that he'd packed for 'medicinal purposes' and shared with the group, might have had something to do with it.

But all in all, the evening, and the days that followed proved a lot more relaxing and enjoyable than any of the team had expected.

True, there were a few minor issues. In the absence of separate bedrooms, or indeed beds, the four men had had to bunk down together in the main room of the cabin. Which wasn't a problem except for their second night there when Tony had gotten up to use the bathroom, taken a wrong turn, and ended up tripping over Gibbs's sleeping bag. Gibbs had reacted the way any well-trained marine would when attacked in the dark and Jimmy's burgeoning medical skills had been put to good use on Tony's resulting black eye.

But all in all, and though Gibbs would be loath to admit it to Vance, the week had proved to be a moderate success. It hadn't hit him until then, just how difficult the past few months, heck, the past few *years* had been for all of them. Even Palmer hadn't escaped unscathed what with being shot at, crashing his car and then finding out about Lee.

Gibbs couldn't remember the last time that he'd gone so long without having to focus on a case or protecting his team. Maybe the time he'd spent in Mexico with Mike, but even then the memories dredged up by the explosion had been too raw to allow for any meaningful R&R. But this enforced vacation had done him more good in a few short days than three months on a Mexican beach.

It had helped that the biggest danger any of them had had to face had been the garter snake that had decided to join Palmer in the tiny shower cubicle. He had run screaming from the shower, only to face the laughter of Tony and McGee as they tried to explain to him that his new shower buddy was completely harmless. Palmer though had had the last laugh though when the next visitor from the outside turned out to be a large rat, and Tony refused to go near the bathroom until it had been shooed away.

All in all, by the end of the week, all four men had learned a lot about themselves and each other, and formed bonds that could only serve to enhance their working relationships.

Of course that was before the car journey home.

But that's another story.

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The end