Kate glanced up from where her nose was buried in a stack of files just in time to see Gibbs walk in. She did a double take. No coffee, she thought. Is that good or bad? Across the desk, Tony raised his eyebrows at her, clearly wondering the same thing. Kate wondered whether she should say something. Before she lost her nerve, she decided to make a joke.
"Quitting?" she asked lightly. Gibbs turned toward her, apparently trying to decide whether she was serious. She figured he would ignore the comment, or perhaps just grunt derisively, but as he sat he seemed almost embarrassed.
"Closed," he muttered. Kate bit back a snort of laughter. Of course such a routinist wouldn't have a backup plan, or even want one, in case of a disruption to precious habit. She knew better than to say anything, though. Tony, on the other hand, had yet to learn the fine art of shutting up.
"Why don't you just go somewhere else, boss?" he asked brazenly. "There's a Starbucks on the corner right outside..." He stopped at the look Gibbs was giving him.
"You don't get it, do you DiNozzo? Coffee is an art form. You can't just go to a chain that processes millions of cups a day..." Gibbs trailed off. "Never mind. You wouldn't understand."
Kate quickly hid her face behind a file so he wouldn't see her laughing. She was saved from Gibbs' wrath by the phone. Gibbs grabbed it roughly, glaring at Tony, and barked, "Gibbs." His face registered nothing as he listened, then said, "We'll be right down."
Kate and Tony stood as he hung up, expecting the directive to the basement. Gibbs stared at them strangely, particularly Tony, as if wondering who they were.
"DiNozzo, what are you doing?"
"We're...going downstairs, aren't we, boss?" Tony looked confusedly at Kate for help.
"We are," Gibbs replied, motioning to himself and Kate. "You are staying up here and finishing up that work." Kate couldn't resist a triumphant grin at Tony as she walked past.
Ducky greeted them in Autopsy. "Where's Tony?" he asked, looking behind them. Gibbs just grunted as he walked in.
"He, er, had the audacity to suggest that Gibbs go to Starbucks," Kate provided, struggling anew not to laugh.
"He didn't!" Ducky replied amazedly, gazing at Gibbs and back to Kate. "I take it his coffee shop is closed this morning?"
"Yeah," Kate nodded. "It's going to be a wonderful day!" she added sarcastically.
"Well, you know how Gibbs is about his coffee, Kaitlin."
"Oh, yeah. Did you know that coffee is an art form?"
"Whaddaya got for us, Ducky?" Gibbs interrupted.
"Ah, yes. A young Navy lieutenant, died of an apparent overdose of coffee – I mean, cocaine. Now, there is some bruising around the coffee – I mean, collar – bone, suggesting..."
Kate tuned out as she watched Gibbs. With every slip of Ducky's tongue, he twitched and reddened. It's going to be a very long day.
"Quitting?" she asked lightly. Gibbs turned toward her, apparently trying to decide whether she was serious. She figured he would ignore the comment, or perhaps just grunt derisively, but as he sat he seemed almost embarrassed.
"Closed," he muttered. Kate bit back a snort of laughter. Of course such a routinist wouldn't have a backup plan, or even want one, in case of a disruption to precious habit. She knew better than to say anything, though. Tony, on the other hand, had yet to learn the fine art of shutting up.
"Why don't you just go somewhere else, boss?" he asked brazenly. "There's a Starbucks on the corner right outside..." He stopped at the look Gibbs was giving him.
"You don't get it, do you DiNozzo? Coffee is an art form. You can't just go to a chain that processes millions of cups a day..." Gibbs trailed off. "Never mind. You wouldn't understand."
Kate quickly hid her face behind a file so he wouldn't see her laughing. She was saved from Gibbs' wrath by the phone. Gibbs grabbed it roughly, glaring at Tony, and barked, "Gibbs." His face registered nothing as he listened, then said, "We'll be right down."
Kate and Tony stood as he hung up, expecting the directive to the basement. Gibbs stared at them strangely, particularly Tony, as if wondering who they were.
"DiNozzo, what are you doing?"
"We're...going downstairs, aren't we, boss?" Tony looked confusedly at Kate for help.
"We are," Gibbs replied, motioning to himself and Kate. "You are staying up here and finishing up that work." Kate couldn't resist a triumphant grin at Tony as she walked past.
Ducky greeted them in Autopsy. "Where's Tony?" he asked, looking behind them. Gibbs just grunted as he walked in.
"He, er, had the audacity to suggest that Gibbs go to Starbucks," Kate provided, struggling anew not to laugh.
"He didn't!" Ducky replied amazedly, gazing at Gibbs and back to Kate. "I take it his coffee shop is closed this morning?"
"Yeah," Kate nodded. "It's going to be a wonderful day!" she added sarcastically.
"Well, you know how Gibbs is about his coffee, Kaitlin."
"Oh, yeah. Did you know that coffee is an art form?"
"Whaddaya got for us, Ducky?" Gibbs interrupted.
"Ah, yes. A young Navy lieutenant, died of an apparent overdose of coffee – I mean, cocaine. Now, there is some bruising around the coffee – I mean, collar – bone, suggesting..."
Kate tuned out as she watched Gibbs. With every slip of Ducky's tongue, he twitched and reddened. It's going to be a very long day.