CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The following morning found Timothy McGee still sitting at the writing desk in his apartment. It was much nicer than the desk he used to have, hand carved mahogany. For that matter, his new apartment was much nicer than his old one had been. Thom E. Gemcity's books had done very well to this point. In fact, his new editor was already pressing him for ideas for a third.

That was the reason he'd been up all night. He'd been making notes for himself on the story for book number three. LJ Tibbs, Agent Tommy, Officer Lisa, Agent McGregor and the others would be welcoming home an old friend. One they'd believed dead some time before the events of Deep Six. He'd decided to name his new character Katrina Timms, Kat for short. A former NCIS officer and Secret Service agent who'd had her own death faked to take a dangerous assignment in Europe, but who was now returning home.

His cell phone began beeping. He often used it as a backup alarm. Since he'd never been to bed the night before, he hadn't set his regular alarm. Time to hop in the shower. He didn't want to be late.

He removed the last page of notes he'd made from the typewriter and opened the top, right-hand drawer of the desk, laying the page carefully on top, closed the door, and moved to the bedroom. His mind was completely awhirl with ideas for the book. He picked his phone up from the bedside table when he realized the beeping wasn't his alarm. That wouldn't go off for another ten minutes or so. It was a text message. Who would text him at oh-five-forty?

Gibbs?? When did he learn how to text?! The message read:

Don't come in today. The team has a well deserved day off. Gibbs

McGee read the message, and re-read it, twice, just to be sure he wasn't losing his mind. A day off, and a compliment, from Gibbs, … in a text message? He wondered if the Earth had slipped off its axis. Suddenly, the phone in his hand began to ring.

He flipped it open, "McGee."

"Very funny, McJokester," Tony said, his voice heavy with sleep. "Gibbs is gonna kill you when he finds out about this."

"Tony, I didn't do it," McGee protested. "I just got the message myself."

"Wait a minute. You're telling me that this is actually a message from Gibbs, and he's actually giving us the day off?" The confusion in DiNozzo's voice was clear.

"I think so, Tony."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a second, after which McGee heard Tony's voice, distantly, as if he were holding the phone away from his mouth. "Probie says he didn't send it, Gibbs did." If there was an answer, McGee didn't hear it. He wondered who Tony was talking to at a quarter to six in the morning.



"Alright, Probie," Tony was back, "but if Gibbs calls, wanting to know why we didn't show up, I'm going to kill you first, then beg him for mercy." There was a bit of noise in the background, before Tony added, "Ziva says she gets you first though."

Ziva and Tony were together at a quarter to six? They couldn't have… Oh boy, McGee thought, when Gibbs finds out about this, he'll be furious. How could they have been crazy enough to break Rule number twelve? Did they get drunk together after leaving Abby's place last night?

McGee had been aware of Ziva's feelings for Tony for some time now. He suspected everyone on the team had been, except Tony. He seemed to be clueless about it. Kind of odd for Tony. He could be clueless at times, but usually not about women, especially beautiful women. And Ziva certainly fell into that category.

The whole situation was starting to make his head hurt, just thinking about it. He decided to shrug it off and let the chips fall where they may. Besides, he thought as he let out a yawn that nearly cracked his jaws, I've been up all night. If Gibbs is going to be generous enough to give us the day off, there was no reason I shouldn't at least get some sleep. He took a moment to set his alarm for eleven, and climbed into bed, pulling the comforter up to his chest and closing his eyes.

Sleep came quickly. His last thought before drifting off was that he must have misunderstood what was happening, on the phone with Tony. No way would he and Ziva start fooling around. That was only slightly more likely than Gibbs getting involved with someone on the team, like say, Kate.