Note: the episode where McGee and Gibbs are escaping Paraguay (Spoiler alert) (1501) is an AMAZING episode. The acting by Sean Murry and Mark Harmon is AWESOME and there is particularly 2 scenes I love – the fistfight between them and the scene where they talk about the fistfight – this story has been playing in my head for a while so I finally decided to write it down. Let me know what you think. I is a bit long for a one shot, but I felt like it was best as a one-shot. Please let me know what you think of it and enjoy.
The navy-yard
The first day on the east coast was an eventful day for Agent Jack Sloane. It was her first day at the NCIS headquarter, and she got to meet 2 of the agents. Agent Gibbs, whom she has heard plenty about and very briefly she was introduced to NCIS-special agent Timothy McGee. Jack knows those two agents were held captive in Paraguay for 2 months. She was following it on the news, and she got almost daily updates from Leon. Jack has briefly done some research on her new colleagues so Jack would have an idea of what to expect. She didn't precisely get off to a good start with Agent Gibbs. Jack thought she had tricked him, but instead, he actually turned out to have deceived her. Jack had a pretty good feeling that they would get along just fine, but she hasn't been able to shake the feeling that he might also be a troubled man with a hidden past.
Jack has now been at the NCIS headquarter for about a week. It is a lovely sunny, chilly morning as Jack walks from her office across the navy-yard to the coffee cart that is conveniently placed near the NCIS headquarter main entrance. She has noticed that this is the place for basically every employee of the NCIS-headquarter. Jack walks over and orders her coffee. As she turns around and is about to get back to her office, she spots a familiar face sitting at a bench, enjoying the sunshine. She walks over to the dark brown-haired man with the beard whose name she doesn't recall. Only that it is Mc-something. She walks over to him. As she is approaching him, she notices he is working on something with a knife. As she approaches the bench, she is trying to recall his name.
"getting a little vitamin D?" she asks. Trying not to give away that she can't recall his name. He looks up at her. His eyes are squinting in the sun that is shining right in his face. His skin looks pale. Too pale, even for the east coast wintertime.
"hey… Agent…" he clearly doesn't remember her name either.
"Sloane. Jack Sloane." She says and reaches out a hand to him. He places what he was working on, on the bench, and shake her hand.
"mind if I sit?" she asks. The agent gesticulates a go-ahead as he grabs his items of the bench again so that Jack can sit down. Jack now gets a better look at what he is working on. It looks like a piece of wood that he is carving something in.
"you don't strike me as a handyman or carpenter kind of guy." She says. It makes McGee chuckle. Jack wasn't sure if she overstepped any line, but the little upward curve on McGee's lips tells her it was okay.
"I'm not. Which might explain why I cut my fingers at least 10 times over the past 1 month that I have been working on this." Tim jokes.
"So, why are you working on it?" Jack asks a little curious but at the same time trying to step a little lightly not to overstep any boundaries.
"It is an apology. I am just not sure it will do any good."
"apologies always do good," Jack says and looks a little closer at the image on the carving. It is the American flag with an eagle with its wings spread across the flag. The image is beautiful, but it also clearly tells Jack that the agent doesn't have a lot of experience with woodcarving.
"It is beautiful." Jack compliments and takes a sip of her coffee.
"thanks. It is a copy. But my memory of the original is a little fuzzy." Tim explains and blows a bit of sawdust of the wood.
"who made the original?" Jack asks. Tim looks over at her. He is about to say something when his phones ring. He answers his phone, and Jack can hear based on the response that it is most likely Gibbs.
"I'm on my way," McGee says and hangs up on the phone.
"my apology agent Sloane. I got to go. It was nice to speak with you." McGee says as he stuffs his knife in one pocket and the piece of wood in the other jacket pocket and then walks away. As Jack is left alone on the bench and watches the tall agent walk away, she thinks to herself that there is something off about this. McGee is an MIT-graduate. He is the computer geek of the team. Why would he be doing wood carpeting? That sounds more like something Special Agent Gibbs would do based on what she saw at his house the first time she was there. As an apology to whom? That last question keeps echoing in her head as she walks back to her office to continue her workday.
Jacks office
It is late afternoon, almost 5 pm. It has been a quiet day mostly with paperwork for the Gibbs-team only one small case that was quickly solved, so Jack overheard Gibbs telling everyone to go home, a while ago. Jack is sitting in her office, working on some paperwork at her desk when it knocks on the door. She takes off her dark-framed glasses and places them on her desk before she tells her unexpected visit to come in. To Jack's big surprise, it is the tall dark-brown-haired bearded Agent McGee. Now that she has been working with the team in a few cases, she has learned his name.
"do you have a minute Agent Sloane?" he asks cautiously. It almost sounds like he is embarrassed to ask for her time.
"sure, come on in," she says with a smile to convince the agent that it is no problem at all. He steps in and closes the door behind him. He remains standing near the door. His body language clearly tells jack he isn't comfortable with the situation, and when he doesn't speak, she decides to take the lead to get to know the purpose of his visit to her office.
"How can I help you, Agent, McGee."
"I have a question." He stats a little cautious.
"have a seat," Jack says and gesture towards the chair across from her desk. McGee looks at the chair and then at her a little uncertain. It almost seems to Jack like he is debating with himself on whether he should sit down or run out the door, but eventually, it looks like he decides to sit down. She offers him a lollipop from the jaw on her desk. He grabs a yellow one.
"so, what is your question?" Jack asks once McGee has unwrapped his candy.
"do you have any experience with trauma sustained doing captivity, like torture?" he asks.
Jack suddenly looks very confused. She can't believe if Leon would have told the agents about her past, and she knows she has been meticulous in covering her scars. Tim realizes based on Jack's perplexed and bewildered facial expression that she doesn't understand his question, or she just can't tell him because of some confidentiality issues.
"Sorry, I shouldn't ask." He says and gets up from his chair.
"wait, Agent McGee… what do you mean?" Jack asks. McGee is now standing by the door with his hand on the door handle.
"I mean professionally as a psychologist… do you know if sustaining any kind of torture doing captivity for an extended period can change someone's personality?" McGee asks.
Jack calms herself down. She didn't realize that her heart had started beating rapidly from McGee's question. Her heartbeat starts to calm down again.
"yes, I do have experience with that. Let me know what your concerns are." Jack says and gestures to him to sit down again. McGee is a little hesitant but sits back down.
"the woodcarving you saw I was working on a few days ago in the navy-yard." McGee starts and looks down at his hand. He has taken the carving out of his pocket and is running his thumb over it.
"you said it was an apology for someone, but you weren't sure if it would do anything?" Jack says, recalling their conversation. Not that she had forgotten about it at all.
"yes… do you know about what happened to Gibbs and me 3 months ago?" McGee asks and looks up to meet her eyes. Jack nods.
"not in detail, but yes, I have read the report. You and Gibbs where take hostage in Paraguay for 2 months."
McGee nods.
"they mostly tortured Gibbs… not me." McGee says and looks down. He can't look at Jack as he is talking about it. Tim is afraid to start crying. He doesn't want to cry in front of his new colleague.
"did you watch?" Jack asks, hesitant. McGee looks up, and just from the look in his eyes, she can tell he answer.
"We planned our escape." McGee says and looks down at the carving. "we planned to stage a fight so we knew the guards would break us apart and thereby w could get a knife from one of them." McGee explains.
"sounds like a brave plan." McGee nods. "did it work?" Jack asks. "well, of course, it did. You are both back home." Jack ads trying to get McGee to smile.
"yeah." He says before he adds. "But, I screwed up."
That makes Jack look concerned at McGee.
"how?"
"We had planned to stage a fight like I said, but… I have been going over our escape so many times in my head and… that fight we staged… I'm not sure if it was staged."
"What makes you think that?" Jack asks, concerned.
"right before we started the fight, I had installed a printer driver for the captures, and as a reward, I got us some food. I got some for Gibbs too. When I was back in the cell, I told him he needed to eat too, and he asked me what I had told him and why I helped them. I told him I couldn't afford the luxury of morality. I am about to become a father."
"The fight got more personal?" Jack states, and McGee nods.
"He grabbed the food I had for him, and I throw it on the floor. I…" McGee takes a moment to control his emotions before he continues to speak. "I grabbed his woodcarving that he worked and throw it at the wall. It broke."
"is that what you are trying to remake?" Jack asks, referring to the carving in McGee's hands. McGee nods.
"It sounds silly, right?"
"It sounds like you care a lot about that you might have hurt your friend's feelings."
"I know this carving was what kept Gibbs going those 2 months. I shouldn't have broken it. He took a swing ad me like we had agreed on to start to fight, but…" he stops talking for a moment. He can feel the tears start to form in his eyes again. Jack grabs her box of tissues from her draw and places them on the table in front of Tim. Tim Grabs one and wipes his eyes.
"I'm sorry, agent Sloane."
"Please, Jack… and don't be… it is important to talk with someone. It doesn't matter whether it is your wife, a team member, a friend, or me or a complete stranger. Although I think I fall under that last category too, right now." The last comment generates a small smile on McGee's face.
"no… Gibbs told us to treat you like a member of the team."
"He did?" Jack asks, surprised. McGee nods.
"just don't tell him I told you."
Jack raises her right hand like she is taking an oath.
"scouts honor." She says and smiles at Tim.
"did you ever ask Gibbs why he swung so hard at you?" Jack asks to get back to the serious matter of their conversation. McGee nods yes while we were making our escape to the top deck…" Jack looks confused. "we were held on a boat. "McGee explains, and Jack nods in understanding.
"When I asked Gibbs why he swung so hard, he responds with a question to why I had to break his woodcarving."
Jack nods understands the more profound meaning to why the woodcarving has such a significant meaning to McGee.
"Gibbs does a lot of woodcarving at home too?" Jack asks. McGee nods.
"he builds boats in his basement." Jack looks at McGee with wide eyes, and then it changes into a smile with a hint of disbelief.
"no way." She says in disbelief and grabs a lollipop from the jaw.
"I think he would have wished he had left me in Paraguay if he finds out, so please don't tell him I said that." Jack nods with a sneaky smile.
"don't worry, Agent McGee. what we are talking about stays between us." Jack reassures as she gets up from her chair and walks around her desk across the room.
"would you like a cup of coffee?" she asks.
"yes, please," Tim says. Jack is standing with her back to him as she is making the two cups of coffee.
"you can just call me Tim if you like." He says, trying to sound more put together then he feels.
"Alright, Tim," Jack says and turns around. She walks back to him and places the cup of coffee in front of him.
"you said you don't think your apology to Gibbs will do any good." Jack says, and she sits back down behind her desk. "why is that?"
Tim takes a sip of his coffee before he speaks.
"I know who talk Gibbs to do woodcarving… it was his father, Jackson Gibbs, who has passed away now. He was such a nice man. He taught Gibbs woodcarving when he was a kid. He had mentioned once that it kept him going when he was deployed as a marine. It was what kept him going in Paraguay too. I don't think a piece of wood from me will do any good."
"what kept you going…" Jack asks and adds: "in Paraguay?" when all she is receiving from McGee is a confused look.
"Gibbs kept me going." McGee admits embarrassed." He kept telling me to keep it together for my pregnant wife. Reminding me of my friends who were counting on me to stay strong and come back home."
"you feel guilty about he was the one who kept you going, and you broke the one thing that kept him going?" Jack asks, and McGee nods and takes a sip of his coffee.
"don't feel bad, McGee… I am certain that you kept him going too. You and Torres, Bishop, and Abby are like his kids. He loves you and would do anything to protect you and the others. I think you kept him going as much as the remainder of your kids kept you going."
"maybe I should just throw this thing out. It doesn't look anything like Gibbs. He made it with a nail I picked out of one of the floorboards in the cell." McGee says and looks at the carving. It makes Jack chuckle. She figured Gibbs would be pretty handy with his hands, but she can't imagine he would be able to make a woodcarving with a rusty nail.
"don't throw it out." Jack says. "keep it or give it to Gibbs."
"I don't know," McGee says and places the woodcarving on the table.
"It represents something exceptional. The bond that two people who share a traumatic event together can never be broken. It forms a unique connection that can never be understood by others. Not even if you try to explain it. the connection the two of you share is unique." McGee doesn't really know what to say. He does see Gibbs like a father, but he has never thought about like that. McGee gets a text on his phone.
"that is my wife. She is asking when I get my butt home so we can build the crib for the kids." McGee informs her and gets up from his chair, and he finishes up his coffee. "I have no idea how to build that thing. I am not exactly good with my hands." McGee admits, and it makes Jack smile. "good luck." Jack says with a smile.
"Thanks, I have been trying to put it off for weeks," McGee says with a smile. He then looks over at Jack with a more serious look. "And thank you, Jack, for listening."
"any time, Tim." She says. He walks to the door and places his hand on the door handle and then stops and looks over at her.
"are you going to write some rapport on this to Vance or Gibbs?" he asks concerned.
"no… why?" Jack asks. "why would I write a report on a coffee chat with a friend." She asks casually, and it makes Tim smile.
"Thanks, Jack." He says and then leaves the office while he is calling Delilah. Jack walks over and closes the door and then looks back at her desk. She discovers that the woodcarving is still on her desk. McGee probably left it there on purpose after she told him not to throw it out. Jack looks at her watch. It is getting late, so she is turning off her computer and putting her paperwork away. Jack grabs her purse and her coat and walks to the door. Before she turns off the light, she grabs the woodcarving from her desk and then leaves the office.
Bullpen
Jack arrived at the office earlier with a cup of coffee in her hand. As she starts to hear the agents coming in, she walks towards the stairs leading down to the bullpen. She is leaning against the wall, where she still has a good view over the bullpen but is hidden enough that the agents can't see her.
"morning Jack," Leon says as he exits the elevator.
"good morning Leon." Jack greets. He walks by her and then stops. He was expecting her to walk and talk with him, but she stays put where she was. "what are you up to?" he asks suspiciously.
"nothing." She says, trying to sound as casual as possible.
"you got a minute in my office.
"I'll be there in 5," Jack says and is hoping for Leon to leave. Leon looks suspicious at her but then decides that whatever she is up to, it is probably best for him not to be involved, and as long as everything seems quiet, there is no cause for him to be concerned, so he walks towards his office.
Down in the bullpen, Agents McGee, Torres, and Bishop have arrived at their desks.
"Everything alright, McGee? you seem unusually quiet today?" Bishop says.
"I'm fine. Long night. I have been up all-night building baby Crips. Those things are like Rubiks-cubes." McGee says and yarns.
"need some sleep, McGee?" Gibbs asks as he walks into the bullpen and behind his desk.
"no, I'm good, boss," McGee says.
"Enjoy it while it lasts. You will be sleep deprived for the next 18 years of your life." Gibbs says.
"Thanks for the reminder, boss," McGee says and receives a smile from Gibbs in return. Jack, who is still standing near the door to MTAC and observing the scene in the bullpen, can't hide her amusement about the agent's interaction. They indeed are like a father and son. Gibbs giving McGee advice on being a dad is nearly melting her heart.
Gibbs gets up from his desk and grabs his firearm and everything else he needs for the field.
"grab…" he then stops midsentence.
"grab our gear, boss?" McGee asks and gets up from his desk. Gibbs seems to be distracted by something on his desk. The three younger agents gather around his desk to find out what has distracted their boss, who doesn't get easily distracted. Gibbs picks up something from his desk.
"McGee?" Gibbs asks and holds out the piece of wood that McGee has been working on.
"I'm sorry, boss, I don't know how it got there." McGee starts.
"you made this?" Gibbs asks. He doesn't sound angry, more impressed in his own calm Gibbs-way. McGee nods a little embarrassed to admit it. "I broke the other one," McGee admits embarrassed while his two coworkers are standing right next to him. Gibbs nods.
"you can just throw it out, Boss," McGee says and takes the carving from Gibbs and drops it in the trashcan next to Gibbs's desk. Gibbs just follow McGee's movements with his eyes but doesn't say or do anything. The two other agents are just observing.
"Grab your gear…" Gibbs suddenly says, and everyone is back to serious business. The three young agents walk back to their desks and grab their gear and while everyone seems occupied with their own stuff Jack notice that Gibbs pick up the woodcarving from the trashcan and place it on his desk. It is being placed in a discreet corner of the desk where Gibbs will be able to see it, but no one else will. Just like the picture of his daughter, he has hanging on the wall behind his desk. Then they are all ready to leave the bullpen. It is unusual, but Bishop and Torres are leading the team's way to the elevator while McGee and Gibbs are following behind. Jack notices how Gibbs places a hand on McGee's shoulder and whisper something to McGee as they walk to the elevator. Right before the doors to the elevator closes, Jack catches McGee's eyes, and he mimics thank you to her. She nods with a smile before she satisfied makes her way to Leon's office.