Sorry this is so short but it was a good stopping point before I ship Harm and Gibbs off on an investigation!

Mac's Office
1520 Hours
09/21/2004

Ring, Ring
Ring, Ring
Ring, Ring
Ring, Ring

"Hello." I practically yell into the phone, hoping I made it in time.

"Colonel Mackenzie?"

"Yes, Agent Todd?"

"Yeah, Rabb asked me to call you." Kate Todd informs me.

"Is everything okay?"

"Oh, yeah. He just wanted to let you know he's going to be late."

"Oh, okay." I can't help but sigh in relief. "Any idea how late?"

"Not sure, he and Gibbs went to Pax River to look at a Tomcat." Kate responds.

"Any particular reason?"

"Yeah, Gibbs was upset that the warrant for the Enterprise didn't include searching the planes and Rabb offered to take Gibbs to Pax and show him why the warrant didn't need to include the planes."

I can't help it, I start laughing.

"Colonel?" Kate sounds confused.

"Sorry, I just know what the Commander's likely to do to make his point." I tell her once I can breathe again.

"I'm not sure I understand."

"If I know the Commander, he's going to take Gibbs out to Pax River and they'll end up taking a ride in a Tomcat which will end only after Gibbs loses his lunch and is so sick that he has to sit with his head between his knees for 5 to 10 minutes before he can walk to the car for the ride back."
"What makes you so sure, Colonel?"

"There's the fact that Harm will use any excuse to get in a Tomcat. There's the fact that Gibbs wanting to search fighter planes for drugs is laughable, and then there's the fact that Harm still feels the need to get even with Gibbs for the month he spent in the brig."

"How did you know that the warrants were for drugs? Rabb's not supposed to discuss cases."

"He didn't. Agent Todd, the scuttlebutt network in this building is at least 10 times better than the computer network. It was all of the building yesterday that NCIS had Commander Rabb come get a search warrant for drugs on the Enterprise and that you wanted the search to include areas where it wouldn't be possible to store the amount of drugs that you were looking for. According to the same scuttlebutt, Captain Sebring wasn't going to sign the warrant until Commander Rabb acknowledged this and the fact that you didn't have probable cause to search the planes." How NCIS ever successfully completes any investigation is beyond me.

"Oh, shit. Gibbs acted like Rabb changed the warrant on purpose and was trying to protect the jet-jocks." Kate sounds like she probably agreed with Gibbs until a couple of minutes ago.

"One thing you need to know about the Commander, he doesn't protect pilots. He gives them the benefit of every doubt and sees past the egos but if they screwed up he will do everything in his power to see them punished." I tell Kate.

"I'll keep that in mind." Kate says in all seriousness.

"Good, thanks for letting me know he'll be late."

"Thanks for letting me know what kind of mood Gibbs will be in when he gets back. I don't think I'll be here."

"Might be a good idea." I laugh as we hang up.

Pax River Flight Line
1643 Hours
09/22/2004

"How you doing, Gibbs?" Harm asks . Gibbs is sitting on a retaining wall. His head is between his legs and his flight suit is dirty and stained.

"I'll be fine, Rabb."

"Okay, I'm going to go get changed. Meet you at the car." Harm heads in the direction of the changing room. He changes quickly before heading out to let Jack know that he needs to know what each member of the plane crew drinks. He figures he owes them each a bottle for the mess Gibbs left in the plane.

Car headed to NCIS Headquarters
1702 Hours
09/22/2004

"Hey, Rabb."

"Yeah, Gibbs."

"You're right there's no way that amount of drugs could be stored in a plane."

"Thanks, glad you realize it. By the way the reason the planes weren't included was you didn't have probable cause. Sebring wanted to kick the whole warrant back but I talked him out of it."

"Well thanks for doing that." Gibbs says rather grudingly.

"It's my job." Rabb responds.

The rest of the trip is made in silence.