"Gibbs, come on!" Kate pleaded. "Please?"
"No, Kate," he repeated, exasperated. "And that's final. Now get back to work!"
Kate slouched back to her desk, just in time to see Tony enter the room. He strode confidently to his desk, smiling winningly at both Kate and Gibbs.
"Morning," he said brightly.
Gibbs ignored him completely and Kate gave him a death stare. His smile faded slowly as he realized that not everyone in the room was as happy as he. He glanced from Gibbs to Kate and back again.
"Psst, Kate," he whispered. "What happened?"
Kate glared at him. He pretended not to notice. Finally, she sighed and whispered back to Tony.
"Gibbs is an stubborn, overbearing fiend!" she hissed.
Tony raised an eyebrow and struggled not to grin. "You're just figuring that out?"
"He won't let me take a personal day," she complained. "To go to my aunt's funeral."
Tony looked surprised. "Really? Gibbs may be strict but he's not sadistic. Why not?"
Kate shrugged, but Tony already had an idea. He nudged Kate and pointed toward Gibbs' desk. Gibbs continued to be completely absorbed by the terrorist faces on his screen. Kate looked where Tony pointed but didn't see anything odd.
"What's missing?" Tony prodded.
Kate looked again and her eyes widened. Her eyes moved to the trashcan. Not there either. Gibbs' desk was completely devoid of the familiar paper coffee cups that always sat in varying states of emptiness. She glanced back at Gibbs, still focused on the computer. She noticed for the first time that his eyes were red, his skin pale, and his hands shaking. She turned back at Tony.
Tony grinned. "I have an idea," he whispered, and ducked out.
Kate turned to her computer and tried to work, but she was too curious about what Tony was doing. Fifteen minutes later, she had her answer. Tony re-entered the room exactly as before, confident and cocky, with one addition. Reminded, strangely but strongly, of Gibbs, Kate noticed the paper travel cup of coffee in Tony's left hand. The logo pointed out and Kate recognized the Starbucks-like circle of Gibbs' favorite coffee place. Tony smiled knowingly at Kate and swept towards Gibbs' desk.
Gibbs didn't seem to notice as Tony plunked the coffee onto his desk. As they waited for him to look up, Kate noticed a scrawl on the side of the cup. It looked like an order specification, the letters barristas write on cups to remind them of customers' orders, but Kate didn't recognize the letters. It looked like AGS, which wasn't any coffee she'd ever heard of.
Gibbs still stared fixedly at the computer but as the steam rose from the coffee cup, his nose began to twitch. Pretty soon he turned his head, searching for the source of the tantalizing scent. Catching his eye on the coffee cup in front of him, his eyes widened and lit up like it was Christmas. Lifting his eyes from the tempting prize, he saw Tony standing in front of his desk, grinning winningly.
Gibbs squinted suspiciously at Tony. "Whaddaya want, DiNozzo?" he growled.
"Nothing, boss," Tony said brightly, his smile never faltering. "Just thought you could use a cup."
Gibbs seemed to be trying to decide whether Tony was telling the truth. Eventually the desire for coffee won out and he decided it didn't matter. Grabbing the cup, he practically threw it down his throat. His eyes closed in satisfaction and Kate didn't think she'd ever seen him so happy. He downed the cup in about five seconds and looked up as if begging for more. Tony grinned wisely, producing from the paper sack in his right hand another identical cup. Gibbs lunged but Tony sidestepped easily, holding the cup high.
"Give it here, DiNozzo, or your butt gets fired," Gibbs snarled.
"Okay, boss," Tony replied cheerily. "But first I have a request."
Gibbs' eyes narrowed and Kate wondered if Tony had a death wish. But, to her immense surprise, Gibbs conceded. Kate supposed the need for coffee outweighed his pride and authoritativeness.
"All right," Gibbs sighed. "Name your price."
"Kate gets to go to her aunt's funeral."
Gibbs looked at Kate. She tried to look busy, to disassociated herself from Tony's demands. Again, he surprised her by agreeing.
"Fine. Now hand it over."
"And," Tony continued, milking this for all it was worth. "I get off early this Friday for my date."
"Don't push it, DiNozzo," Gibbs warned, lunging again and this time succeeding in grabbing the coffee. He drank this one more slowly, savoring the taste.
Kate sat in shock at what Tony had just pulled off. Tony came around his desk and sat with a flourish. Putting his hands behind his head, he leaned back in his chair and grinned at Kate.
"Pretty good, huh?" he commented cheekily.
"Yeah, thanks. I just have one question."
"What's that?"
"What are the letters on the cup for? AGS?"
Tony's smile widened. "The Agent Gibbs Special."
"No, Kate," he repeated, exasperated. "And that's final. Now get back to work!"
Kate slouched back to her desk, just in time to see Tony enter the room. He strode confidently to his desk, smiling winningly at both Kate and Gibbs.
"Morning," he said brightly.
Gibbs ignored him completely and Kate gave him a death stare. His smile faded slowly as he realized that not everyone in the room was as happy as he. He glanced from Gibbs to Kate and back again.
"Psst, Kate," he whispered. "What happened?"
Kate glared at him. He pretended not to notice. Finally, she sighed and whispered back to Tony.
"Gibbs is an stubborn, overbearing fiend!" she hissed.
Tony raised an eyebrow and struggled not to grin. "You're just figuring that out?"
"He won't let me take a personal day," she complained. "To go to my aunt's funeral."
Tony looked surprised. "Really? Gibbs may be strict but he's not sadistic. Why not?"
Kate shrugged, but Tony already had an idea. He nudged Kate and pointed toward Gibbs' desk. Gibbs continued to be completely absorbed by the terrorist faces on his screen. Kate looked where Tony pointed but didn't see anything odd.
"What's missing?" Tony prodded.
Kate looked again and her eyes widened. Her eyes moved to the trashcan. Not there either. Gibbs' desk was completely devoid of the familiar paper coffee cups that always sat in varying states of emptiness. She glanced back at Gibbs, still focused on the computer. She noticed for the first time that his eyes were red, his skin pale, and his hands shaking. She turned back at Tony.
Tony grinned. "I have an idea," he whispered, and ducked out.
Kate turned to her computer and tried to work, but she was too curious about what Tony was doing. Fifteen minutes later, she had her answer. Tony re-entered the room exactly as before, confident and cocky, with one addition. Reminded, strangely but strongly, of Gibbs, Kate noticed the paper travel cup of coffee in Tony's left hand. The logo pointed out and Kate recognized the Starbucks-like circle of Gibbs' favorite coffee place. Tony smiled knowingly at Kate and swept towards Gibbs' desk.
Gibbs didn't seem to notice as Tony plunked the coffee onto his desk. As they waited for him to look up, Kate noticed a scrawl on the side of the cup. It looked like an order specification, the letters barristas write on cups to remind them of customers' orders, but Kate didn't recognize the letters. It looked like AGS, which wasn't any coffee she'd ever heard of.
Gibbs still stared fixedly at the computer but as the steam rose from the coffee cup, his nose began to twitch. Pretty soon he turned his head, searching for the source of the tantalizing scent. Catching his eye on the coffee cup in front of him, his eyes widened and lit up like it was Christmas. Lifting his eyes from the tempting prize, he saw Tony standing in front of his desk, grinning winningly.
Gibbs squinted suspiciously at Tony. "Whaddaya want, DiNozzo?" he growled.
"Nothing, boss," Tony said brightly, his smile never faltering. "Just thought you could use a cup."
Gibbs seemed to be trying to decide whether Tony was telling the truth. Eventually the desire for coffee won out and he decided it didn't matter. Grabbing the cup, he practically threw it down his throat. His eyes closed in satisfaction and Kate didn't think she'd ever seen him so happy. He downed the cup in about five seconds and looked up as if begging for more. Tony grinned wisely, producing from the paper sack in his right hand another identical cup. Gibbs lunged but Tony sidestepped easily, holding the cup high.
"Give it here, DiNozzo, or your butt gets fired," Gibbs snarled.
"Okay, boss," Tony replied cheerily. "But first I have a request."
Gibbs' eyes narrowed and Kate wondered if Tony had a death wish. But, to her immense surprise, Gibbs conceded. Kate supposed the need for coffee outweighed his pride and authoritativeness.
"All right," Gibbs sighed. "Name your price."
"Kate gets to go to her aunt's funeral."
Gibbs looked at Kate. She tried to look busy, to disassociated herself from Tony's demands. Again, he surprised her by agreeing.
"Fine. Now hand it over."
"And," Tony continued, milking this for all it was worth. "I get off early this Friday for my date."
"Don't push it, DiNozzo," Gibbs warned, lunging again and this time succeeding in grabbing the coffee. He drank this one more slowly, savoring the taste.
Kate sat in shock at what Tony had just pulled off. Tony came around his desk and sat with a flourish. Putting his hands behind his head, he leaned back in his chair and grinned at Kate.
"Pretty good, huh?" he commented cheekily.
"Yeah, thanks. I just have one question."
"What's that?"
"What are the letters on the cup for? AGS?"
Tony's smile widened. "The Agent Gibbs Special."