A Dare, Or Something More Sinister?
Rating
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Summary: Whilst they're working on a case on a Navy ship, Tony bets Gibbs won't be able to go without coffee for a week and the result is much more interesting than any of them ever anticipated.
"Probie! Where do you think you're going? We haven't finished yet" Tony called to McGee
"To the bathroom Tony, I get sea-sick" McGee responded moving out of the room quickly
Tony and Ducky exchanged glances before getting back to work. "Good thing he didn't become a marine…" Tony said under his breath
"DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked "You finished yet?"
"Just finishing up now boss" Tony replied
"Where's McGee?" Gibbs asked
"I'm… right here…boss" McGee answered between breaths, walking shakily into the room
"Have you finished…" Gibbs started turning to the door "What's wrong with you? You look green. Go sit down"
"Thanks boss. I'm fine" McGee replied
"I wasn't asking you McGee! Sit down, or lay down. You're no good to me if you're sick" Gibbs said
"But I'm not…" McGee stopped as his face drained of color "Be right back boss" He said as he quickly made his exit from the room
Gibbs smirked and turned to Kate "When he's done, could you help him to the doctor's office? So, Ducky, what have we got?"
"Well I can't give you a time of death at this stage, from what I can gather, his body was kept cold, probably in a large freezer for some time. I won't be able to tell you more until I get him back" Ducky replied
"Could you estimate a time, Duck?" Gibbs asked
"If I had to give a rough time," Ducky began, and from a look from Gibbs continued, "I would say between …three and four days ago"
"Cause of death?" Gibbs asked, rubbing his eyes
"The majority of this bruising was done before our young officer was killed, what killed him was this wound" Ducky paused, pointing to the marine's throat where a large cut could be seen, "It looks like the cut, nicked a vein in his neck, making him bleed out. The rest of his wounds are post-mortem." Ducky said, stepping back and watching the body "You know, this reminds me of one of my first cases when I started at NCIS. One stormy night in winter…"
"Ducky!" Gibbs stopped him in his tracks, "Is there anything else we need to know that's relevant to the case?" As Ducky shook his head, Gibbs turned to DiNozzo "Finished yet?"
"Yes boss" Tony replied
"Good, take the stuff to the chopper, so Abs can start analyzing it. I'll get McGee to go with you Duck" Gibbs stated turning back to Ducky
"Ok. Let's get you home, my young boy." Ducky turned his attention to the body of the marine "Mr Palmer, shall we?"
"Yes, Doctor" Jimmy replied, bending down to help him.
"McGee, when you get back I want you to pull Lieutenant Mitchell's file" Gibbs told McGee as he sat in the chopper, "and Lieutenant Patterson and Sergeant Dowling" he added as an afterthought
"You think they're holding something back?" Kate asked
"No. I'm sure they are. Ducky, call me when you have something" Gibbs raised his voice as the chopper's blades began rotating. Gibbs closed the door as he step back. Gibbs, Tony and Kate watched as the chopper left the heli-pad and took-off.
"So, what are we gonna do now boss?" Tony asked
"Get something to eat" Gibbs replied shortly, moving away from the heli-pad
"Great! I'm starving" Tony said enthusiastically
"That's what happens when you don't eat breakfast Tony" Kate said
"I didn't have time for breakfast, or I would of been really late, and I didn't know if Gibbs had had his coffee yet" Tony said carefully. "Speaking of coffee, Gibbs. You look cranky"
Gibbs stopped and glared at Tony "Well yeah, DiNozzo, I am. A marine was murdered this morning"
"Actually, Ducky said between three and four days…" Tony stopped when Gibbs slapped him over the back of his head and glared at him again before stalking off.
"His last coffee was when? We're on un-chartered territory here Kate" Tony looked at Kate
"You're afraid of him, aren't you DiNozzo?" Kate asked, a smile spreading across her lips
"Hey, come on Kate. Me? Afraid of Gibbs? Yeah, right." Tony replied, "But, in any case, I've never seen him without coffee for more than 36 hours…and that's when he was in hospital"
They made their way to the cafeteria and stopped at the door to see Gibbs take a deep breath and heard him slowly describe the characteristics of coffee to a young man who barely looked 16, as if talking to a three-year-old. The young man nodded and pointed to a jug of peculated coffee. "See, no worries" Kate turned to Tony and stepping closer to the counter.
"That!" Gibbs pointed at the jug, still talking to the youth "Is…not…coffee!" Gibbs leaned over the counted threateningly, making the youth very nervous
"S-sorry s-sir. B-but that's all w-we h-have" the young man stammered
"Don't call me sir" Gibbs growled, glaring at the young man
"Ah, Gibbs? Calm down, I think you need something to eat" Kate told Gibbs, touching his arm
Gibbs flinched but didn't move his arm, he looked at Kate "I am calm" he said before storming off
"Well. That went down well" Tony remarked walking up to Kate. Kate gave him a withering look and left the cafeteria. "Hey! What happened to lunch?" Tony called after her.
After ten minutes, Kate returned and sat down opposite Tony at his table. "Has he come back yet? I couldn't find him"
"Nah, hasn't…come back yet" Tony said between mouthfuls, "You should really try this burger, it's great, and I'm usually not a fan of cafeteria food"
Kate rolled her eyes "Is that all you think about? Your stomach?"
Tony stopped eating and looked at Kate "Kate, how long have you known me? And you think I only think about my stomach? Come on! I think about all sorts of things, all parts of my anatomy, and other peoples" He said wriggling his eyebrows suggestively
"Why does everything always lead to sex with you Tony?" Kate asked
"It doesn't" Tony replied
"What? You were just talking about your anatomy" Kate said
"Yeah... I was talking about my stomach. What were you talking about Kate?" Tony asked innocently. As he finished his question, he felt somebody slap him over the back of his head. "D'oh, hi Gibbs, you're back. What was that for?"
"Whatever you were doing" Gibbs replied
"But, it wasn't me…Kate.." Tony started saying
"Don't want to hear it DiNozzo" Gibbs stated. "Kate, have you eaten?"
"Are you buying, I could really do another burger..." Tony said
"No. I was looking for you. Where did you go?" Kate asked, ignoring Tony
"Hey Kate! My mouth was moving, and sound was coming out, most people notice this as talking…" Tony said as Gibbs closed his eyes.
"Tony! Stop thinking of yourself, there are more important things in life than…" Kate began
"I wasn't thinking of myself, Kate! I was merely…" Tony interrupted
"Alright, cut it out, stop bickering!" Gibbs interrupted their argument, glaring at the both of them. "Kate, food?"
"In a sec. Where did you go? I looked everywhere for you" Kate replied
"I don't need a minder Kate. I'm capable of looking after myself" Gibbs said, turning to the menu
"Wouldn't mind looking after you" Kate said under her breath, looking away, not loud enough for him to hear
"So, what do you want?" He asked
"Boy, is that a loaded question?" Kate said as Gibbs raised his eyebrow
"Ha ha, Kate has a thing for…" Tony stopped when Gibbs slapped him over the back of his head "Sorry, boss. Go the burger Kate, it's unbelievably good!" he said, with a smirk and wriggling his eyebrows.
"Kate? Sometime today, would be good" Gibbs asked getting irritated
"Ah…small burger, thanks" Kate replied, Gibbs nodded and approached the counter
"Only a small one? You know…bigger is better" Tony asked, grinning
"Well, I guess that's just bad luck for you" Kate replied
"Ouch, Kate. Ouch!" Tony said, sitting back in his chair.
"So, why do you think somebody murdered Lieutenant Mitchell" Kate asked, changing the topic
"Unresolved sexual issues. Always is" Tony replied, putting his hands on his head
"You sound like you know Tony" Kate said
"Yeah, just ask Gibbs" he said, checking out an attractive woman who walked past
"She is so out of year league DiNozzo" Kate said, noticing his attention wander
"Oh yeah? A twenty says I can get her number" He replied, getting up and chasing after the woman.
Kate watched as he approached the woman, but gave up when she couldn't hear what they were saying. She turned her attention to the case, and began making a profile of the murderer in her mind from the small amount of information she had on the case. There were so many possibilities, it could be anyone. She looked around the cafeteria, subconsciously trying to identify the murderer as if they were there and would just pop up in-front of her. Then something caught her attention, on the other side of the room, she noticed Sergeant Dowling and Lieutenant Patterson having a heated discussion. She saw Lt Patterson suddenly get up and leave, leaving Srg Dowling alone at the table. Srg Dowling got up and walked out of the cafeteria in the same direction as the Lieutenant. Perhaps Tony was right, maybe it was unresolved sexual issues, she mused. She turned her attention to the counter where Gibbs was standing with his arms crossed, and looking irritated. She thought about what Tony had said about Gibbs and his lack of coffee, and being in unchartered waters. She had to admit, she'd never seen Gibbs without having had coffee for about 3 hours, at present it was around 8 hours since his coffee this morning… Kate's thoughts were interrupted as Tony came back to the table and sat down with a humph, she smiled.
"So, the sex machine didn't get her phone number?" Kate asked, smiling
"No. She's a lesbian" Tony replied
Kate started laughing "So, I guess you owe me a twenty"
"Doesn't count. Although she was interested in you, I gave her your phone number" Tony replied, laughing at the look on Kate's face
"Something funny, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked as he gave Kate her burger and sat down
"Yeah, Kate just.." after a look from Kate, Tony stopped "No, boss. It was nothing"
Gibbs nodded his head and started picking at his food. Over lunch the team went over the information they had and tried to make sense of it, coming up with only assumptions and more questions than they had to began with. After five minutes of speculating, they lapsed into silence. Kate finished her burger and looked at Gibbs, who was still playing with his food, which Tony was gazing at longingfully.
"You gonna eat that boss?" Tony eventually asked
"No" Gibbs sighed and pushed the plate away, which Tony collected and started eating again. Kate raised her eyebrows at Tony, who merely shrugged and said that he had a fast metabolism.
"I'm going out for some fresh air" Gibbs said, getting up to walk outside.
Kate watched Gibbs leave the room, feeling concerned. Kate's attention was side-tracked when two sailors a few tables away from them began raising their voices. One of the sailors stood up and pointed at the other man, shouting something illegible at him. The other sailor slowly stood up and tried to calm the outraged sailor down.
"What! There is no way in hell you don't have it! You were the only one who knew where it was! The only person I fucking told!" the sailor shouted
"No, I swear I didn't take it! Where the hell would I put it? I wouldn't do something like that!" the other sailor responded also raising his voice, trying to remain calm. Tony stood up, sensing this might get ugly, Kate following suit
"The hell you fucking wouldn't! I know your kind, you get somebody's trust, and when they least expect it, you fuck them over!" the sailor shouted again, managing to raise his voice again, pushing the other sailor backwards. Kate and Tony walked over to the table and tried to break up the situation.
"You calling me a thief!" the other sailor shouted, pushing the sailor back. Kate stepped in-front of the sailor, holding the two men apart, Tony doing the same with angrier of the two sailors.
"Okay, why don't you try to calm down" Kate told the man, but he wasn't listening
"Yeah! I am!" the sailor yelled. Pitching forward with his fist, connecting with Kate's head. Kate stumbled backwards and lost her balance as she tripped over something on the ground.
"Kate!" Tony called as Kate fell backwards, her head connecting with the side of the table before she lost consciousness.
Now, that's chapter 2 done for you all... I really hope you're enjoying it! Please review!