Lehcar: …We're back…
Mike: …Yeah… We're really sorry it took us so long, but you see, we *(feel free to enter a lame, random excuse here because we really can't come up with one good enough that you couldn't see right through to our laziness)*. So, anyways, we're sorry.
Lehcar: Really, really, sorry.
Disclaimer: Lehcar owns no part of NCIS. If she did, do you really think she would be writing fanfics?
Lehcar: Actually… I probably still would. :D
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Tim shifted nervously in his seat. He continued to glance back and forth between Connie, the door, and the clock on the wall of the kitchen. Two minutes till seven. Where the hell was he? Surely… surely Gibbs wouldn't be late. As he snuck another look at the clock, he heard a sigh.
"Tim, he'll get here when he gets here," Connie told him calmly, not looking up from her computer.
Tim bowed his head sheepishly. "Sorry," he muttered.
Connie breathed out heavily through her nose. "What is it?"
"What is what?"
"What is it that's bothering you so much about what time your boss shows up?" she asked, looking up at him over her laptop.
Tim swallowed. "It's just… uh… well…"
Connie gave him an impatient look. "Spit it out!"
In all honesty, Tim was nervous that if Gibbs was late, Connie would reject Tim and the whole op would be useless. He couldn't afford that. He decided to tell her the truth: at least part of it. "I've got a lot riding on this job," he said softly, his head still bowed.
Connie shut her laptop and propped elbow on the counter, her chin in her hand. "Meaning?"
The agent chewed the inside of his lip. Now might be a good chance for him to play up him being the inexperience escort. "Well," he said slowly, "I guess I haven't really been able to prove myself yet, and this is a pretty important job. If anything is screwed up, Boss will never give him another chance." As meek as that sounded, Tim knew it was the truth. If he couldn't pull this off, if any little thing went south, his team would forever regard him as the tech geek.
Connie smiled kindly. "Well, we'll just have to turn you into the best man Leroy has," she said softly.
As the words left her mouth there was a knock at the door. Connie grinned. "Speak of the Devil and he shall appear. Get the door, please."
Tim rose shakily and crossed over to the door. Quickly checking the peep hole, he sighed in relief and pulled the door open. "Boss," he said in a quick greeting.
Gibbs merely nodded as he looked his agent over: what he was looking for, Tim had no idea. After a second Gibbs moved past and greeted Connie. "Hello Connie. Nice to see you kept my boy in one piece."
Connie smirked as she stood and took Gibbs' hand. "Well, he was so well behaved that I didn't have to *break* him." Tim's eyes widened slightly at her tone.
Gibbs merely smirked right back before taking a seat in the leather chair across from the couch. Silently, Tim moved to stand behind Gibbs chair. "Shall we?"
"Straight forward," Connie said lightly, "but yes, lets." She sat herself down and Gibbs placed a hardcover folder on the coffee table between them. "First off, what are the boundaries you want on him?" she asked bluntly.
"No marks, no violence, no harm in anyway," Gibbs said immediately. "He may belong to me, but he is human."
"Hmm," Connie said non-committedly. "How far can I have him?"
"How far do you want?"
"Intercourse?"
Tim was desperately glad that he chose to stand behind Gibbs as his face flushed (although a small part of him wished he could see Gibbs reaction). His Boss was basically handing his agent over to this woman with the idea of "do as you please". Gibbs nodded and replied. "Fine. Will he have other duties?"
Connie nodded. "Yes. He will accompany me to any and all social events I attend and the occasional business event. He will attend me when and where I ask, no questions. I expect him to complete small day to day orders such as fetching drinks and what not. He will be with me unless I dismiss him for a time." She continued to list out a series of basic commands that Tim would have to follow, such as how and when to address her, and what he was prohibited from doing during his off hours. "That shoule about cover his duties," she said once she was finished.
Gibbs nodded. "I have one final request."
A delicate eyebrow rose at him. "Yes?"
"I need to see him at least once a week," Gibbs said shortly. "Make sure he's still in one piece."
Connie widened her eyelids ever so slightly. "Oh Leroy, do you not trust me?"
Gibbs sniffed. "Merely an insurance policy." Connie agreed, and they settled on Wednesday mornings for three hours. A car would pick Tim up where ever he happened to be and escort him back when the time was up. Once that and several more details were talked over, including prices, Gibbs reached into the folder and brought out two stapled pieces of paper. "I believe this covers everything we discussed."
Connie took the two papers and for several minutes read through the contents. When she was finished, she lay the contract on the table. "It all seems in order. Came prepared, didn't you?"
Gibbs grinned. "All I need now is for us to agree on how long this contract will be binding. Simply put, how long do you want my boy?"
For the first time since she and Gibbs had started negotiations, Connie looked up into Tim's eyes. She stared into his depths for several tense moments. Tim felt his heart speeding up. The racing speed soon caused his heart to begin jumping in his throat as her eyes slowly made their way down his frame. "One year." The frantically beating heart seemed to freeze in his chest.
Gibbs leaned forwards, his elbows on his knees. "A year?"
Connie nodded. "Correct. I want to train him, and I believe that amount of time will allow me to do just that as well as reap the benefits."
The former Marine leaned back. "I'm not comfortable letting my rookie out that long."
The woman's eyes narrowed. "This is non-negotiable. I have him for a year, or not at all."
Tim flinched as he heard Gibbs give a small, breathy laugh and scoop his head slightly to his right. After long acquaintance with the man, Tim recognized the sign that his Boss was annoyed and slightly vexed by Connie. Quietly, he stepped forwards to intervene.
"Ma'a- Connie," he said, catching himself in time. "If you remember the conversation you and I shared before Leroy," damn it felt weird to call Gibbs that, "arrived, I believe you will permit me to speak with him alone for a few minutes."
Connie sees softened as she gazed at Tim's insistent expression. "Of course. You may use your bedroom." She stood and shook out her dress. "In the meantime, I am going to step outside and have a word with my bodyguard." She smiled briefly before crossing the room and exiting.
Tim sighed as he led Gibbs to the room he had spent the night in and shut the door behind his boss. He quickly went and turned the TV on (again, you never know) before turning to Gibbs. The agent's cool business demeanor had slid from his face to be replaced by his scowl. "A year, Tim?" he said in a harsh but low tone.
Tim bit his lip. "I know… but-"
"A year?"
"I know it's longer than we planned but-"
"Longer than we planned?" Gibbs scoffed. "Hell, Tim, we only planned on four months! A year is a damn sight longer than four months."
"It doesn't change anything!" Tim argued. "We only planned for four months because that's all we thought it'd take! I can still find what we need in four," he reasoned, "but this way I'll have the safety net of those extra months. I might not even need the extra time!" Secretly, though, he had to question if that was true.
Gibbs scowled had lessened slightly, but he still looked wary. "I don't like it."
Tim saw he needed another point. "I know, but now I have more time to settle into my roll," he said. "I don't have to rush finding evidence and risk breaking cover. This way, Connie, as well as her staff, will trust me more, and I might have more access to what we need. Plus, the added time give me a time to build a solid case against whoever is behind the secrets trade." When Gibbs didn't move to say anything, Tim began growing desperate. "I know I didn't want to take this op on at first," he said sheepishly, "but it was just so unexpected. But, please Boss, I know I can do this!"
Gibbs sighed. "I know you can. I'm not doubting you, its just… I'm not so sure I want to put you through this for that long."
Tim smiled at the almost affectionate statement. "I'll be fine. Like I said, I might not be here any longer than planned."
Finally, after studying his agent again (Tim still had no clue as to what those cold blue eyes were looking for), he nodded. "Alright, but Tony's hate me when he finds out."
Tim had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. "Yeah, I'm so sure."
Gibbs gave him a hard look. "He will. He's worried; they all are, like I said before. Actually, the only reprieve I'm going to get from him is the 20 minute drive back to base." Gibbs sighed at the disbelieving look in Tim's eyes. "Have faith in your team. They have it in you." With a final nod, he began to move towards the door.
"Wait," Tim said softly. "I think I might have something for the team to look into." Gibbs turned back and waited expectantly. "Well," Tim said, not really prepared, "I notice today that even though Connie has that bodyguard, Kyle, he disappears from time to time. It's not that I just lose track of him," he said quickly, justifying himself even though Gibbs hadn't questioned him, "but I think he leaves. He seems to be around when Connie is moving from place to place, acting as a chauffeur, but once we're settled he goes missing." Tim licked his dry lips before continuing. "I'd like to know if he's just hiding in the shadows or if he's off somewhere else."
Gibbs nodded. "Good work, McGee," he said shortly, but his words set that small bubble of pride in Tim's chest afloat. "Now, we'd better get back before your *mistress* begins to wonder what we're up to." He chortled heartily, as he opened the door, at the blush that crept up Tim's cheeks.
They found that Connie had indeed returned and was looking over the contract once more. She smiled as the two reentered the main room. "So, are we agreed?"
Gibbs nodded and pulled a pen out of his jacket. "We're agreed." He picked up the contract and wrote in the empty line that the contract was for one year. He scooted the page up and lowered the pen to the line waiting for his signature. Without looking at Tim, the pen slid over the paper. He handed the pen to Connie, who also signed quickly. Then, the pen was handed to Tim.
He moved his hand down to the paper, but paused. He was wrong when he thought Gibbs was signing his life away. No, *Tim* was the one giving it away. For a year he was giving up his freedom, his life. But it wasn't just that. He was signing himself away: not just his body, but his identity. The moment the ink set on the paper, he was no longer Timothy McGee. Timothy Malcolm would have officially taken over. Tim had to hold back a grin. He hated the McNicknames Tony gave him at the expense of his last name, so why did he feel so sentimental about letting it go? Pushing these thoughts from his mind, pushing away the doubts and the fears, pushing away his life, Tim lowered his hand.
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Lehcar: Fail chapter… meant for it to be longer, but I lost my muse.
Mike: I was right across the computer screen the whole time XD
Lehcar: Not you, you idiot! Anyways, maybe if I get lots of reviews my muse will return?
Mike: Doesn't that kind of conflict with what you told me at the end of the last chapter?
Lehcar: Shut up, Mike. Well, leave a review anyways. At the very least it makes me smile.
Mike: But if you give her hard critiques it gives me an excuse to hug Ms. Stoic Lehcar, to *comfort* her.
Lehcar: (Please Physical Therapy gods, make my hands better so I can get rid of him!)
