Summery: Gibbs is given an order which soon turns his world upside-down.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the show´s characters. Never did, never will. I just borrow them for this excursion and I promise to give them back safe and sound in the end. In the very end...

Beta: Actually... the first chapter is still unbetaed, since I haven´t heard from my beta in a while. But I thought I should get this story started to let you know I haven´t given up thinking of some weird stuff.

Spoiler: Be prepared...

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Chapter One

"Jethro!"

Gibbs had barely arrived at NCIS in the morning when Director Jenny Shepard stepped out of MTAC, and on catching sight of him she called for him from above.

Gibbs glanced up at her.

"I need to talk to you," Jenny said and started to walk down the stairs to the squad room.

Gibbs watched her silently, sipped at his coffee and patiently waited until Jenny came to stand right in front of him.

"What´s up, Director?" he wanted to know.

"An order. High priority. I want you to get on this right away."

"Okay," Gibbs nodded. The team had only just closed a case the previous evening. "We... ."

"You, Jethro," Jenny interrupted him in a strict manner. "No 'we' here!"

Gibbs once again sipped at his coffee, his critical eyes never stopping to study the Director´s facial expression. Swallowing the hot black liquid he nodded an awkward nod which gave the impression that he was trying to work out a stiffness in his neck.

"Care to tell me, Jen?" Gibbs eventually asked as Jenny seemed to have forgotten to continue, her gaze resting on his coffee.

"Ummm, sure," Jenny slowly dropped out of her dazed state. "I just had a strictly confidential conversation The captain of the USS Fitzgerald died last night. His last wish is to be laid to rest with his medals."

That actually wasn´t something unusual, although Gibbs never had understood what made people want to have their medals buried along with them.

"Burial at sea?" Gibbs wanted to know.

"No," Jenny replied. "Ship is lying in the port of Oceanside. The captain seemed to have been seriously ill for a while and they took him to hospital two days ago. He told his doctor about his medals, which he keeps at his house in D.C. They want us to retrieve them and send them over to Oceanside. I promised to have my best agent do this." Slight discomfort was lying in her voice.

Gibbs listened while watching the expression on Jenny´s face, a smirk decorating his lips.

"Jen, I don´t understand why you need your 'best agent' fetch some medals, but you really needn´t kiss my ass to get a coffee for free."

And handing her his coffee he mumbled, "What is it about medals that people cannot live without them even if they are dead already?"

To be continued...

A/N: Curious? Then come back for chapter 2 which finds Gibbs at the Captain´s house to get the medals...