Disclaimer: I don't own CBS or NCIS. I own some of the other characters in this though.
Hi again :)
There's a bit of fluff in this one, cos I felt that without it it wouldn't really qualify as tiva. oh and 626 hits in 1 hour for the last chapter! I'm so happy :)
This chapter's dedicated 2 people: first, BritishNinjaChick, who always reviews and has awesome ideas, and second, your royal highness, for being exactly what her name says, and lending me her idea! :)
Enjoy!
10:00am.
"Come on. I can't exactly do it myself. I haven't even finished half that freaking pile yet! God knows what will happen if I do something else and they find out!"
Agent Jackson turned to face what looked like a whining 6-year-old, but in reality was a whining 36-year-old.
"No. I can't just plant rumours, you know." She leaned back in her chair and yawned. "It's taken me years of practice to become even this eloquent with words. Your revenge mission has nothing to do with me. I use my powers for good, not evil."
Rick smiled. "I'll make it worth your while."
This caught her attention, and her eyes narrowed, waiting for the catch.
"How?"
He wiggled his eyebrows and she rolled her eyes. "Oh, I think you know, Jackson."
She did know.
"According to Agent Skirrow, your apartment smells like squeezy cheese. Not the most...seductive odour, is it?" She smirked. "Not sure I want to be on the receiving end of that, not to mention your – oh, what do you call it again – 'charm'."
Much to her dismay, her confidence didn't put her partner off. "We could always head to the break room...I hear that it's the favourite makeout haunt of many an NCIS agent." He grinned. "Plus it's full of chocolate, which is an aphrodisiac."
Having been quiet until now, Zach Braff looked over the divider.
"So I'm guessing your stomach must be like a hot tub in Paris."
Rick scowled. "Hey, I think there's a brick wall somewhere that's missing a couple of comedians. You guys are just so funny. Anyways Jackson, if you don't want to do it, I could always get...oh I don't know." He decided to play into her worst fear. "Agent Crawford."
Realising that her gossip status was severely at stake, Jackson sharply reconsidered, and whirled to face Rick.
"What?! That little pipsqueak from analysis?! She couldn't spread a story if her life depended on it. In fact, you can screw asking anyone else. I'll do it. Gimme that paper." She snatched the post-it note Rick had been waving, and her eyes widened considerably as she read what was written on it. "Whoa. I wouldn't like to be you if David and DiNozzo find out you started this."
Zach craned his neck to read it over the divider. "I wouldn't like to be them if Agent Gibbs sees this."
Rick smiled, trying to avert his eyes from the huge mound of paper that he could swear was whispering his name. At least his shock tactics had worked on someone. "Who cares? It's probably the truth anyway. So I need you to spread this around, right? Pull a couple of strings with Gibbs' friends. Then he should catch wind of it. But whatever you do, don't tell anyone that might mention it to DiNozzo or David."
"So basically, none of the women under 30." Jackson smirked.
Her friends were going to love this.
*~*~*
"Hey, save one for me!"
Relieved that the vending machines at NCIS weren't located in the break room, Jackson picked up a special K bar and sat at her usual table. The women around her were clearly identifiable as gossip queens. Highlighted hair, OTT lipstick, and an unusual taste for Chanel clothes.
The world had since moved on from the stories of Tony and Ziva's 'exploits', and as Jackson sat down she pricked her ears for anything she hadn't heard before.
"Oh, did you hear Nikki Jardine complained to the director because she found a hair on her desk?"
Their squeaky laughs drove away even the most tolerant agents. "Brilliant. And you ladies heard about Agent Shaw and Agent Armstrong, right?"
"Yeah, everybody thought they were trying to be the new DiNozzo and David."
"Uh huh. Until yesterday, I was down at Lucario's after the meeting and Shaw was totally hitting on McGee!"
"That dork from MCRT?"
"Yep."
Now was her chance to jump in and start something.
"Maybe she got the feeling that McGee was missing out on some action in the workplace. A very reliable source told me that DiNozzo and David did way more than make out on..." Every eye in the break room was on her. "Their boss' desk!"
Squeals and exclamations of "Oh my GOD!" rang out through the hallway, and although these people were her friends, she cringed slightly.
"Seriously?"
"Does he know?"
Jackson grinned at the attention she was getting. "Nope." Not yet... "You won't tell anyone, will you?"
"No."
"No."
"No."
They shook their heads obligingly, but Jackson knew it meant about as much as Rick saying he was good in bed. Pleased with the impact she had made on the women at the table, she got up and walked back towards the cubicles. The reality of what could become of her if Officer David found out it was her who had started the rumour dawned on her, and she quickly turned and sprinted – with as much dignity as possible – back to the vending machines, but all the women had gone.
She looked at her watch. 20 minutes until the MCRT was due in – which meant she had about 20 minutes to live.
*~*~*
"Tony...we are due in in 20 minutes, Tony. What on earth are we going to say to Gibbs when we arrive like this?" Ziva whispered as her partner pressed kisses down her collarbone.
Tony grinned as an idea hit him and he rolled off her, so he was staring at the ceiling with his head on the pillow. "Maybe we don't have to," he breathed. "Pass me the phone, would you sweetcheeks?"
She smiled sarcastically as she reached to pick it up off the nightstand. "Always at your service, my little hairy butt."
He dialled the familiar number, and the tone only had to bleep 3 times before McGee picked up.
"Tony? What do you want?"
"How's it going, Probie? Me and Ziva aren't really on our way to work yet, so could you tell Gibbs–"
"You're kidding." McGee looked around the bullpen to check his boss wasn't anywhere in hearing distance. "You want me to tell Gibbs that you're going to be late for work because you spent the morning having sex with your partner at her apartment and therefore have no clothes to come to work in? I'd like to see what job – or perhaps hospital – you end up in after this one."
"Aw, come on, Probie. Just 'cos you don't have a social life." Tony got slightly distracted from his persuasion techniques when he felt the grinning Israeli turn onto her side and push her front against him. "I mean...uh..."
McGee rolled his eyes. "DiNozzo, I don't really want to hear about what you and Ziva are doing there, but whatever it is I don't think Gibbs will hold it as an okay excuse for–"
He was interrupted by the man himself, striding formally into the squadroom. "An excuse for what?"
"Good luck, Tony."
McGee smirked as he passed the phone over to Gibbs.
"Ah, DiNozzo. I'm sure you're well aware that you're due here in 15 minutes."
Tony's face fell, and he tried an uneasy smile, not that it would show through the phone. He noticed Ziva eyeing him suspiciously and mouthed 'Gibbs'.
"Oh...h-hey boss. How's things? I mean, yeah, I should probably find out, but uh...yeah I was just going to say that...me and Ziva can't come into work this morning."
Gibbs narrowed his eyes involuntarily as he sat down in his chair, coffee in hand.
"I see, DiNozzo. Care to tell me why the hell not?"
He stumbled for an excuse, filling the spare time with his chronically overused nervous laughter. "Uh...we've got clinical exhaustion from last night's...events." Ziva smiled at his seemingly lame idea – ironically, after what they had actually done last night and that morning, he wasn't being entirely dishonest.
"Those events being?"
Despite the inevitably brilliant look that would form on Gibbs' face if he did, DiNozzo wasn't about to say 'the hottest sex ever'. "Um...we went for a run."
"Sure, DiNozzo. Let me make this clear. The fact that you are tired from doing lord knows what all morning and night with your partner does not mean you are allowed to get out of work. I expect both your fully clothed asses here in less than an hour."
Tony put the phone down, kissing his partner passionately in the process. She returned it happily and pulled him closer to her.
"We need to be at work in less than an hour, sweetcheeks. I think that gives us enough time to..."
They broke apart and she placed a silencing finger on his lips.
"Do not think I don't know. But we have forty-five minutes. That doesn't sound like you at all."
Tony grinned. "Don't you believe it, Officer David." He purred against her mouth before smashing his lips against hers.
*~*~*
"Well..." Having stayed silent for most of the phone call, and now basking in the resulting awkward silence, McGee made another tragic attempt at conversation. "At least they're keeping it out of the office." Gibbs stayed thoughtfully soundless, accepting McGee's idea, until he banged his coffee cup against the table and pushed himself into standing.
"Going for a refill."
He made his way down to the Coffee place, and was met by an enthusiastic analyst probie whom he often referred to as 'Mini-Jardine'.
"Agent Gibbs! Agent Gibbs!" Mini-Jardine had the face of a kid who's just learned something she'd been taught a year ago. "You heard about what your agents did, right? How could you ever use your desk again?!" She giggled.
"Huh?" He looked at her, prepared for some story about the incredibly fascinating origins of his desk.
"Your agents – DiNozzo and David. Couple of days ago, after that whole Facebook thing, they had sex on your desk!"
"WHAT?!"
Mad Gibbs! Hope you liked :)
Lotts xx