Disclaimer : Still own nothing. Just having fun.
Author's Note : Thanks to everyone who's read, followed, favorited and reviewed so far. I'm amazed by the response that the first chapter received. You all have my deepest thanks for the support.
Adapted a few laws in this chapter to make the story flow better. Sincerest apologies if that bothers anyone.
Hope you enjoy this one. They'll get into a bit of trouble in the next chapter.
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9:12am - Roosevelt Elementary School – Forest Hills, Washington, DC -
Cutting the steering wheel to the left, Tony maneuvers the Charger into a visitor's spot just out front of a small, public school. Too busy looking at the turkey shaped decorations plastered in one of the classroom windows, he nearly taps the Mercedes in the adjacent space.
"Watch it, Tony," Tim warns, smacking his hand against the dashboard.
With an annoyed exhale, he straightens out the car. Still not taking his sight off the building, Tony marvels at the sheer blandness of its appearance. With its brick exterior and red steel roof, it closely resembles the school that he attended right before his mother's death. He presses his lips together, desperate to recall something from that time period in his life. All he can remember are the years that he spent in boarding school and those awkward family holidays over Christmas when he and his father tried to ignore his mother's absence…and each other.
He shakes his head, wishing those were the years that he'd forgotten instead.
Chasing the memories away, he glances to Tim, who's staring wide-eyed at the school.
"Please tell me you're kidding."
"Not this time, Probster. Izzy Barrows' career day really is the assignment. We're going to tell her class how much fun it is to be an agent. Don't you think this'll be better than cold cases?"
When Tony grins broadly, Tim seems to consider the suggestion for a moment. Suddenly, the color drains from his face and he clutches his backpack tighter to his chest.
"Does Gibbs know we're here?" he asks, voice barely a whisper.
"Probably?" Tony chuckles at Tim's hopeless moan as he buries his face in his bag.
Checking his phone for missed calls, he's surprised when he finds nothing from his boss or Kendal. While he's certain that Gibbs will kick ass later, Tony just couldn't miss the opportunity to impress another team leader and the director. Hopefully, they'll remember this little favor in the future…when he's ready for his own team.
Eyes squeezed shut, Tim exhales raggedly. "We're so dead."
When the junior agent tries to covertly slide his cell out of his jacket, Tony snatches it away and stuffs it into the interior pocket of his suit coat. He frowns at the look of betrayal on Tim's face.
"Come on, McGee, the director asked us to fill in for Barrows since his team got sent to Camp Lejeune on that serial killer case. If Gibbs hasn't called us yet, he probably knows. We're already here so we might as well make the best of it." He pauses dramatically. "Those kids are counting on us! So let's go!"
Looking over his sunglasses, he grins at his subordinate's pale face. Pressing his lips into a tight line, Tim breaks the gaze first to stare morosely at the school building. When his hand reaches for the handle, Tony hops out of the Charger. He takes several strides before he realizes Tim hasn't followed. Turning back to the car, he notices that the younger man hasn't even unbuckled his seatbelt.
Running his hand down his face, Tony heads to the passenger door and yanks it open.
"McGee, you can't sit in a car out front of a school. People get arrested for that. Do you think Gibbs'll come bail you out after you went AWOL?"
Just when Tony thinks Tim can't turn any whiter, the last traces of color drain from his cheeks. He blinks a few times as though to try to wake from a dream before he scrambles onto the sidewalk. Drawing himself to his full height, Tim narrows his eyes at Tony as he slings his backpack over his shoulders.
They're both silent for a long beat until Tim stalks off towards the entrance, leaving Tony behind.
-oooooooo-ooooooooo-ooooooooo-
9:28am – Front Office - Roosevelt Elementary, Forest Hills, Washington, DC –
After several minutes of trying to explain his and Tim's predicament to the black call box, Tony finally gives up and flashes his badge at the small camera next to it. There's a loud gasp that echoes from the tinny speaker and the front door clicks, allowing them to enter. They head through a pair of glass doors into a poorly lit foyer with a glass-walled office on their left. Straight ahead, a hallway lined with cinderblocks invites them deeper into the school.
Tony debates about which direction they should take.
When Tim points to a small sign on the wall that reads 'all visitors must report to the office," Tony ignores his urge to congratulate the MIT grad's reading prowess. Instead, he follows his subordinate towards the office.
Just as they hit the doorway, a bespectacled woman with wild grey hair leaps out from behind a wood-laminate desk. Wringing her hands, she rushes over, mouth open wide.
"So you're federal agents? What is it? What's happened?"
Tony doesn't get a chance to explain before a portly woman in a tight pink suit appears in the small hallway that leads to a principal's office.
"There are federal agents here?! Debbie, why didn't you call me about this?"
"I'm sorry, Miss Patterson, but they just got here…"
When Tony tries to speak again, both women explode at the same time, asking each other what occurred and who should've been notified. He and Tim share an amused smirk until the cacophony causes his head pound. With a loud whistle, he pulls out his badge. The sight of it makes the women freeze.
"Why don't we all just calm down?" Tony gives an easy smile as he gestures to himself and Tim. "NCIS Special Agents Tony DiNozzo and Tim McGee. We're here in place of Steve Barrows for Career Day."
The woman in the suit scrutinizes the badge while Debbie nods. "Oh yeah, that suddenly reminds me that Mr. Barrows called this morning to say that he couldn't be here and there would be two other agents taking his place. What happened to him?"
"He got called away on a big case."
Glancing up from the badge, the pink suited woman contorts her face into a perky smile when she finally looks at Tony. Shaking his hand, she holds it for just a little too long before moving to Tim's.
"Nice to meet you both. Pamela Patterson, principal of Roosevelt Elementary and - " she points to the aging woman by the desk " - that's Debbie Ross, our receptionist. How would you two like a tour of my school?"
When she winks at him, Tony shakes his head emphatically. "That's not necessary. Just point us in the direction of the class – "
"Actually, Mrs. Patterson, we'd love one," Tim interjects, ignoring Tony's death glare.
"It's Miss Patterson," Pamela corrects with another wink.
Tim lets out a cough that sounds suspiciously like a laugh.
"Well, you know we don't want to trouble you – " Tony stares at the floor and straightens the lapel of his jacket " – just tell us where to go and we'll find it ourselves."
"Don't worry, Tony. I'd be more than happy to show you over to Ms. Hastings' class and give you a tour. But please, call me Pamela."
Her third, and even more obvious, wink makes his polite smile fade. When Debbie rolls her eyes and ducks back behind the desk, Tony wonders whether Pamela routinely hits on male visitors to the school. Cheeks flushed, Tim lets out another strangled "cough." She starts towards the foyer, but freezes by a cardboard cutout of the school's mouse mascot, and Tony nearly runs her over.
"Everything okay?" he asks.
"Are either of you carrying a gun?"
Tony and Tim share a perplexed look. "Yeah, why?"
Shaking her head, she motions for them to follow her back into the room and through a small hallway that leads to her personal office. Even though it's been years since his last visit to the principal, Tony remembers the feeling quite well. His palms begin to sweat.
Pamela pushes the door open to lead them into an area that looks like a bomb exploded inside. There are piles of file folders strewn across the floor and the desk with boxes of rolled-up posters in the corner. Inhaling deeply, Tony wonders why the place smells like onions. Heading behind her desk, she slides several boxes out from underneath it to reveal a large metal gun chest.
Opening it, she points to the empty interior. "Sorry, boys, but it's part of the regulations for the Gun-Free School Zone. I need to lock up those weapons while you're here."
Looking over at Tim, Tony shakes his head. "I'm not sure we can do that, Pamela."
"I didn't make the law." She sighs. "You can keep them if you're here for official business…but I'm not quite sure that Ms. Hastings' Career Day counts."
He's about to protest again when Tim places his Sig, holster and all, inside. "Come on, Tony, think of the children."
There's a long pause until Tony grimaces and puts his gun on top of Tim's.
After closing the chest with a resounding thud and locking their weapons away, Pamela waves them back into the hallway. The click of her sensible heels leads them back through the office and into the school while she explains her involvement in the school's resurgence as a leader in elementary education. When Tim's face turns crimson as he stifles his laughter, Tony levels a quick smack to the back of the junior agent's head.
It only makes Tim more flushed.
Pamela takes the pair deeper into the school, past a wall full of crudely drawn masterpieces. From the way she talks about Caden, the school's city-renowned painting virtuoso, Tony figures the kid's work should be museum worthy. But when she pauses suddenly to emphatically point out a piece of paper decorated with hot-pink blob with stick legs and a neon orange smile, he barely bites back a laugh. Based on the current pieces, it'll probably take Caden a few more years before he actually earns his "premier painter of the ages" title.
Covering his mouth with his hand, Tim takes a second to try to compose himself. When Pamela begins to liken the school's football team to the Redskins, he barely manages to swallow the laugh that shakes his body. Not giving the younger man a chance to dissolve into a fit of giggles, Tony leans over.
"So do you think this Ms. Hastings'll be hot?"
Tim shrugs as he points to the Pamela's bright pink back. "Does it matter? You've already got a date."
When she stops by the nurse's office, she turns back to Tim's crimson face. "Are you feeling, Agent McGee? Perhaps you'd like to see a member of our health team?"
'Coughing' violently, Tim shakes his head.
"Something's been going around the office. I just hope he isn't contagious," Tony says, eying the junior agent seriously.
Paling slightly, Pamela slides a step away from him (and closer to Tony) as she begins to explain the 'state of the art' health facility that the school's nurse provides. While she drones on during her tour, Tony amuses himself by making faces at Tim for the rest of the way. By the time they reach Ms. Hastings' classroom, he's quite impressed that the junior agent hasn't burst out laughing yet.
As Pamela glances through the classroom door's glass at the teacher, Tim eases himself against the cinderblock wall so he can breathe slowly. Tony finally notices the unnatural shade of crimson plastered on the younger man's cheeks.
He didn't know someone could turn that color while they're still alive.
-oooooooo-ooooooooo-ooooooooo-
9:59 – Just Outside Ms. Hastings' Classroom - - Roosevelt Elementary, Forest Hills, Washington, DC –
While Pamela stares intently into the classroom through the small glass window, Tony studies the artwork with round, poorly-drawn shapes and bright colors that lines the hallway. Just above the shaky portraits hang a large class picture and the words 'What We're Thankful For…' carefully cut out of construction paper. Most of the shapeless blobs seem to revolve around families, pets and food while the one closest to the door proudly portrays a lime green Tyrannosaurus Rex holding an ice cream cone.
Raising his eyebrows, he's amazed to find Izzy Barrows' name at the bottom.
When Pamela knocks on the door a second time, Pamela shoots him an apologetic smile.
"I'm not sure what Caroline's doing, she's usually good about answering the door."
Tony exhales awkwardly, glancing back down the hallway. Obviously forgotten, Tim still leans against the wall, the disconcerting shade of scarlet slowly dissipating from his face.
He gestures to the pictures. "So was this your idea, Pamela?"
"Actually, it was all Caroline's. It's incredible to see what children can be thankful for." She rolls her eyes, pointing to Izzy's masterpiece. "Either of you have children?"
"Not yet," Tim replies, smiling hopefully.
"Um -" Tony shudders at the thought – "no."
Nodding, Pamela readies to knock again. Before she can, a beautiful blonde with a broad smile slides into the hallway. She runs her hand over her ponytail, oblivious to the male agents grinning at her arrival. With her killer curves and porcelain skin, the third grade teacher's an absolute knockout. Looking over at Tim, Tony shakes his head.
I saw her first, he mouths and the younger man narrows his eyes.
"Hi there, Miss Patterson. I'm so sorry, but I didn't see you guys out here," she murmurs.
"It's okay, Caroline. I'm just bringing some more participants for your career day. Special Agents DiNozzo and McGee." Pamela gestures to the agents. "Izzy's dad couldn't make it, so these gentlemen are filling in for him. How's the day going so far?"
Clapping her hands, Caroline checks on her class through the door. "Great, Annie Sutherland's mom, the surgeon's almost finished. Then we have Izzy Barrows' dad, well…Agents McGee and DiNozzo now. And I think Jacob Mathers' dad's supposed to stop by soon. Isn't he that cop?"
When Pamela shudders suddenly, Tony turns his attention to her. "Everything okay?"
Unease creeps onto her portly face as she shifts her weight. "Jerry Mathers, Jacob's dad, has been a bit of - " she chooses her word carefully " - a problem lately. He used to be a great guy until about a year ago. It was slow at first…saying inappropriate things when he came to pick up Jacob from school. But a few months ago, Jacob came to school covered in bruises. He and Danielle got divorced shortly after. Ever since he lost custody, Jerry's been calling the school, trying to visit. I'm surprised Danielle would give him permission for him to come today."
"Maybe she knows it's important to Jacob for his dad to be here?" Caroline shrugs as Tim slides a step closer. "Ready to go inside?"
"Absolutely, Miss Hastings," Tony says, flashing the teacher his playboy grin.
With a nervous laugh, she extends her hand. "Caroline."
"Tony." While he shakes it, he notices the junior agent watching them forlornly. "And don't forget about Tim over there or else I'll never hear the end of it."
"Nice to meet you both. Well, I think we should get inside before the kids go amok. Certainly you understand, Miss Patterson?"
"Of course, Caroline. It was great to meet you, Agent McGee and – " Pamela looks at Tony as seductively as she can manage " – Special Agent DiNozzo." Unable to stop himself, Tony cringes visibly while Tim lets out a snort. Seemingly unfazed, she winks at him again before turning on her sensible heels and heading back to the office.
Once she's finally gone, Caroline giggles quietly. "Don't worry about her, Tony. She hits on almost every guy that comes through the school. Though we better get inside before Dr. Sorenson bores the kids to death…"
Frowning deeply, Tony suddenly feels sorry for every male visitor to Roosevelt Elementary that's been sexually harassed before him. While Caroline yanks open the door to her classroom, Tim grips Tony's arm and holds him back.
"What are we going to tell those kids when we get in there?"
"Who knows, Probie, but I'm sure we'll think of something."