Summary: The story takes place once McGee is shot twice by Gibbs on the rooftop. Both men go through a serious of emotions during the next few weeks for season 18th.. Notes: I have found this episode very emotional in many ways. I am going to try to write a story involving Gibbs and McGee's relationship and them some.
CUTTING THE HEAD OF THE SNAKE
Chapter 1
March 15th 2021
Special Agent Gibbs has never felt more vulnerable with having to be forced to shoot his friend and senior field agent Timothy McGee. All because he wasn't stopping with a goddamn bomb on board Meriwether's company plane. Though Gibbs had mellowed slightly during the past few years. He felt so hurt inside seeing his friend laying in the hospital bed. Just after speaking with his wife Delilah outside of his room...
Trying to talk to him while he was still unconscious...
"Tim I know it was wrong to shoot you like that. But I had no choice in the matter. I had hoped that it wasn't true
with the bomb on board for when Vance had advised me." he said with placing his callous hands on top of his head.
Gibbs was listening to the machines working inside ICU with keeping track of his vitals. He was still critical after getting out of the operating. How he had wished it was him in that position instead of Tim. And all this prior for months that himself, Fornell and Vance had been keeping the operation a secret. Until finally he had no choice but to tell his team with three days to investigate before handing all evidence over to the DEA.
He wasn't able to stay there any longer with the stress inside his chest was getting to him. What he needed the most was Bourbon and there were two places he could go with picking up a bottle at liquor store.
Kelly's bar five blocks away from the Naval Yards
Gibbs after leaving the Bourbon bottle into the glove box leaving it there until he's able to arrive home. Either he was going to drink heavy here inside the bar or home alone. A friend of his that he had met a few weeks back inside of Vance's office. Lt. Loreile Ann Baskins had been working hard of late at the Evergreen safe house on the outskirts of Alexandria, Virginia.
Locking the doors with placing the keys into his pocket. He walked inside with the place somewhat busy. Music was being played with the jukebox. He had looked around and saw three employees that works with him at the Naval Yards.
He wanted to drink alone right now with drowning his sorrows at this particular moment. No doubt Bishop, Torres and Kasie with her friend from the pet shop. The last time he had seen them together was three years ago for when he was accused of murder.
A young waitress came over to Gibbs sitting at a small table in the corner. Asked the older man on what he wanted to drink with his order.
"Yeah I do. Please bring me three strong Bourbons right away with one shot of anything I really don't care." he commented with a look on the young girl's face writing the order down on her pad.
"Thank you for your order. I will get to it right away sir." she says with heading on over to the bar...
Meanwhile Torres had seen Gibbs walking in as he mention it to the gang at the table. "Maybe we should asked Gibbs to come and join us?" Nick says with watching the waitress to bring his order over with the drinks. "Any by the way that tray looked like. It seems that he's here to get himself drunk?"
"It does Nick. I really feel bad for Gibbs after what he had to do at the airport and with saving me as well. Even though I was able to get away." she responded with taking a sip of her fruit drink.
"Will someone bring me up to speed?" Kasie's friend had to asked the only not drinking. He was drinking diet soda instead...
"There was an undercover operation going on for months between Gibbs, his friend Fornell formerly of the F.B.I. and Vance searching for a drug leader having almost killed Fornell's daughter Emily. As it had turned out that Gibbs had found out that there was a bomb on board a plane thinking that the Drug dealer and myself were on board. However Tim's communications device wasn't working and Gibbs had no choice to stop him with shooting his arm and leg." Bishop said with emotion and a deep breath.
"My god! That is just awful everyone." Thomas had to say with taking Kasie's hand for emotional support.
"I don't know about all of you. I am going to asked Gibbs to join us at the table. He can't be alone at this very emotional time. At least we will be going to see Tim in the morning at the hospital."
She had gotten up to talk with her boss and friend like a father.
Leroy Jethro Gibbs continued to down his Bourbon and the Black house to really put a fire into his stomach and throat. Placing the empty shot down back onto the round table. He notices Eleanor Bishop walking over to him.
"Bishop what's going on?" he slurred slightly with his words indicating he was already feeling it...
"I wanted to know on whether you like to join us. Gibbs I don't like to see you alone right now." she commented...
"It's what I want Elle to be alone after what I did today." he cried out with a slight tear falling down his cheek. There was only one other time that she had seen him cry for when he and Tim had gotten back from Paraguay.
This is going to be the first time she is going to call him the following..."Jethro please I don't wish to see you like this for god sake." Elle cried out with seeing the pain his eyes...
"Sorry I can't." It was at this time she is going to mention something that he probably didn't know about.
"It's too bad Gibbs. It's bad enough we are going to be losing Jacqueline Sloane in a few weeks." This is what caught his ears looking up into her eyes...
"What are you talking about Bishop?" Gibbs asked with concern with his already worsening demeanor.
"Didn't Director Vance tell you? Sloane is leaving NCIS to move to New York with her daughter Faith to work at Manhattan Medical Center Naval unit."
"I wonder why she didn't say anything to me?" he said with anger building in his gut.
"I don't know Gibbs. We all had thought that you two had been in some sort of a relationship for the past few years. I guess we were all wrong?" she commented seeing the look on his face. "I am truly sorry. I will leave you alone and it seems speaking of the devil she just walked in alone Gibbs." Bishop walked away to tell her friends it was no dice. Along with telling them that Gibbs had no idea about Sloane leaving.
"Why?" Thomas asked...
"We really don't know Thomas. And Vance is her friend and he's not going to be telling us the truth." Bishop responded with watching Sloane to sit down at a table near the bar. She assumed that she hasn't noticed anyone at the moment.
But she does notice them as with Gibbs. She wasn't in any mood to be bothering with them especially with Gibbs. She had been trying for months thinking that he was interested in having a relationship thinking that they had gotten closer.
However she had found that someone else had entered into his life with her friend Vance introducing her to Special Agent Gibbs in his office. Now that she had decided to leave NCIS to be leaving with her daughter. She will be more happier this way.
Even though Gibbs had other ideas having finished three of his drinks getting his nerve up to finally tell her off... He had gotten up from his seat feeling slightly woozy at first before straightening up with slowly walking over to her.
Sloane looked up wearing her peach dress that she had worn a number of times. She was currently drinking Scotch on the rocks. "Jack why didn't you tell me that you're leaving?" he said why staggering slightly.
"Cowboy why is it any of your business in the first place?" she snapped at him with placing her glass onto the table angry.
"Really Jack! How could you after all this time? This is why I could never ever open up to a woman ever since Shannon and Kelly were killed?" he cried out ...
"I need a change in the first place. And this is going to give me a chance to spend and see my daughter Faith with her pregnancy. She is going to have a baby and I am going to help her and her husband. And besides you have someone now in your life?" she commented...
"Where?" he looked around in direct contrast of her question. "I need to get out of here now I am going to say good night to my team." he replied with getting himself together with paying his tab with the waitress ringing it up with him using his credit card...
Bishop said to her friend Nick that Gibbs was coming over.
"I am sorry to be saying good night. But I can't stay here anymore. I am going to my house and basement to drink. Good night and Bishop thanks for everything." he responded with giving her a kiss to the top of her head like always as a father...
He leaves heading out to his truck...
Nick said the following..."We need to check on Gibbs later. Hopefully we won't find him on the floor of his basement out cold?"
"AGREED!" IN UNISON FROM THE GROUP...