Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year! This is my gift to you guys :) Okay, so I was sitting there the other night, and I started thinking about this fanfic. Until now, I have had no idea whatsoever what the mission was going to be! Well, now I do know, and I am very excited about it. Enjoy! And PLEASE R&R!

Oh yea, and I forgot: Rule 12 is about not dating coworkers. I think. Correct me if I'm wrong.

•••

Alex glanced around the house, taking in his new surroundings. From the sparse furniture and personal belongings, it could be inferred that Special Agent Gibbs was a confirmed old bachelor, who cared more about his work than his personal life. Here and there a woman's touch could be seen, whether it be the white-painted baseboards and chair rails, or the perfectly matching pillows on the couch. Perhaps he was close to his mother? Alex could only guess. Gibbs led him through the main rooms quickly, lingering in the guest bedroom only long enough to point it out and let Alex drop off his luggage, before taking him down to the basement.

It was clear that this was the room the older man spent the majority of his time. It was darker than the rest of the house, with a few broken down lamps and a bulb hanging from the ceiling being the only sources of light. Old jam—jelly, ALex silently corrected himself—jars laid scattered about, some with nuts and bolts, others with screws or nails. It smelled of wood, glue, dust, pepper, and alcohol mixed in a strange, but somehow comforting concoction.

But none of these details hit Alex until later, His first and foremost though was:

How the heck was he going to get the boat out of the basement?

It was true—in the very center of the room was the large, naked skeleton of a boat, lying upside down, with various wood-working tools around it. Alex wanted to ask about it, but decided against it; Gibbs seemed to be the dark and silent type, and Alex didn't want to make him mad.

The man turned to him, one eyebrow quirked, with an expression that read, "Well?"

"It's...cool," he muttered, unable to find a word that quite described his surroundings. Gibbs nodded, satisfied with the answer, before taking him back to his room.

Once there, Gibbs eyed Alex. "Now you've seen the place and dropped off your stuff. I still have some work to do, and you need to be briefed. Ready?"

Alex was quickly learning that Gibbs was a man of very few words.

"Let me just grab my fanny pack."

The man opened his mouth, then shut it quickly. It wasn't often that Gibbs was talked back to, and he definitely didn't like it. Had one of the team even thought about saying that to him, it would have been a head slap for sure. Alex was going to become a part of the group, at least for a few months, but as it was only his first day, Gibbs satisfied himself with just a stern look.

Alex, not one to be easily daunted, shrugged the warning off and followed Gibbs out of the house.

This looked to be turning into a very fine adventure indeed.

•••

Tony glanced between Ziva and McGee expectantly.

"Well?" he finally said, leaning back farther in his chair.

Ziva huffed, throwing her pen down. "Well what, Tony?"

"Have you found anything out about this guy?" He stood and leaned across his desk toward her. "Or is this going to be another act in the series of plays the Director's having us dramatize?"

"Oh, I like that metaphor," McGee intruded, his eyes never leaving his computer screen. "But who are we talking about here?"

Tony gave him a look. "Who do you think, McLoser? I'm talking about 007 Jr., the British kid who came in here a few hours ago." He turned back to Ziva. "I mean, come on, he said that we, NCIS, asked for his help." He slapped his forehead mockingly. "Uh, hello? What's going on here?"

"Are you finished, DiNozzo?"

The special agent winced at the sound of the all too familiar voice.

"Um, yea, Boss," he concluded, sitting down quickly.

Gibbs strode into the bullpen with Alex following close behind, hands in his pockets. Gibbs made an impatient gesture toward the agents.

"Conference room, now."

Ziva glanced between McGee and Tony. "Will we all fit?"

Gibbs gave her a look, before turning on his heel and heading toward the stairs. A moment Tony sauntered over to her desk, and at her still confused look, decided to translate for her.

"I think he means Vance's office."

Her eyes lighted up as comprehension dawned on her, and she gracefully stood before following after the Boss, with McGee in tow. Tony watched them go for a moment, before realizing that he too was being watched.

He looked at Alex curiously. "What is it, kid?"

Alex's façade darkened a bit. "Just waiting for you, old man."

The two exchanged a glare, and Tony made as wide a circle around him as the cramped bullpen would allow.

"Good American accent, Prince Charles," he sneered. "How long did it take you to get there?"

Alex walked opposite him. "About as long as an Obama speech."

Tony grimaced. "Touché." They turned toward the stairs. "I hope this answers some questions," he muttered, more to himself than to Alex.

But Alex heard, and nodded. "Same."

•••

So, after some bristled hairs, it looks like Tony and Alex may become friends. Or friendly enemies. Lemme know.

Speaking of which, please review! Next chapter will be uploaded much quicker that way…and it's the one where the mission is discovered!