Disclaimer - I do not own NCIS.
The International Investigators Conference soon drew to a close for the day. Delegates began pouring out in constant streams, heading towards Tube Stations and into a line black cab taxis. Meanwhile, two federal agents made their way in the opposite direction through the sea of people as they returned from their afternoon Starbucks caffeine overload to collect their charges.
"So, Tobias, do you think Sacks and Tony will have managed to play nice?"
Fornell grinned and as they stepped inside the almost empty arena. He pulled his cell phone from his inside pocket and dialled a speed number and held the phone to his ear for a few moments, before he frowned and snapped it shut.
"That's strange, Sacks has his cell switched off. He never has his cell switched off."
Gibbs smirked, his brain instantly recalling his own rule 3 and how he had burned it into the minds, hearts, back of the head and sometimes rear ends, of those on his team. He took his cell from his pocket and, still with a satisfied smirk on his face, dialled Tony's number. He held the phone to his ear and, after a few seconds, the smirk developed into a frown, exactly as Fornell had done.
"DiNozzo, call me back asap!" he snapped.
"Well, what do we do now?" Fornell asked.
"I don't know about you Fornell, but I'm gonna head back to my hotel, grab a shower and then try and find something to eat."
Fornell nodded, "Sounds good Jethro, what hotel you in?"
"Uh...Westminster Thistle. Less than a half a click from the Palace."
"Well aint it a small world Gibbs. After flying across the Atlantic, we both end up at the same conference and at the same hotel. You still feel the same way about coincidences?"
Gibbs rolled his eyes, "I've told you before, I don't believe in them. But I sure as hell do believe in bad luck!"
They both walked back to the hotel. Their anger and displeasure increased at their futile attempts to get hold of the team. By the time they entered the hotel lobby, and made for the elevator, they were both extremely pissed.
"I'm gonna wring DiNozzo's neck when I get hold of him!" Gibbs growled as he slammed the elevator button.
"It's not like Sacks. Your team must be a bad influence Gibbs."
"Aw, save it! Sacks isn't exactly perfect is he? Don't you remember how he tried to screw Tony after the Chuck incident?"
Fornell huffed in response and then whacked the elevator button for his floor.
------000------
In the Italian restaurant, Tony almost choked on the large wad of pizza he had stuffed into his mouth as he checked his cell phone.
"Gibbs again?" Tim winced as Tony paled once more, at yet another missed call from Gibbs.
"You do realise, he's gonna kill me on this alone, don't you."
Sacks looked confused, "Everyone else on the team has a cell phone, why hasn't he tried to call them?"
Tony sneered sarcastically at him, "Because, Mister Simple Slacks, I am the Senior Field Agent, I'm in charge, I am numero duo in the team!"
Tim sighed, "It also means, that it's his head on the block when Gibbs finds out that we've all broken rule three."
"Look, I've asked you a million times, please stop calling me Slacks. Now what's this rule three?" he asked, confused.
"Rule number three, never be unreachable!" Abby piped up.
"So how does Gibbs normally deal with rule breaking?" Sacks asked innocently.
There was sudden silence at the table and finally all eyes set on Tony, who cleared his throat,
"He's a Marine. Let's just say, it's...uh...generally...painfully clear that Gibbs is pissed off. So you tend not to break the rules...uh...very often....or at least...die trying."
Sacks nodded his head lightly in acknowledgement and then went back to his pizza. The rest of the team exchanged sympathetic glances with Tony and they all silently returned to finishing their food. Tony looked at the team and sighed, he was the Senior Field Agent, and it was his responsibility to make sure that the team remembered this trip and had a great time. Although he felt the weight of his responsibility, he felt the even bigger weight of the potential consequences that carrying out those responsibilities might bring. He gave a smile small and in true DiNozzo style resolved that, whatever Jethro Gibbs had planned for him, the night was going to be one that they would never forget.
"Okay guys, let's finish up here and board the DiNozzo bus of fun!" he beamed.
"As long as it is not the DiNozzo underground Tube of fun, I'm sure we'll be okay," Sacks snickered.
After paying the bill, the team wandered around Covent Garden in search of the nearest bar which had some potential. After a few attempts, and several drinks later, they eventually settled in a nearby nightclub. Despite their earlier protests to accompany the boys and having already had a number of drinks Abby had convinced Ziva to accompany her on the 'London Ghost and Ghoul' walking tour. Abby had been so excited at the prospect, that Ziva was only too happy to join her, and enjoy the walk in the fresh air. The two girls said their goodbyes and promised to call Tony when they had returned to their hotel room.
Anthony DiNozzo was in full flirt mode, as he stood with two young brunettes on either side of him.
"So, you see my uncle is Harrison Ford, but I'm not supposed to tell everyone that, because they get a little, you know, with him being in some movies."
The two young girls stared wide eyed as they sipped their drinks.
"Oh my God! Harrison Ford is your uncle? He is so hot even for a really old guy!"
Tim McGee snorted loudly as Sacks sniggered and began to slur,
"Yeah, DiNozzo stars in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Thick Skull!"
Whipping his head around, Tony scowled and whacked Tim on the back of the head.
"Hey! I didn't say anything! It was him!" he protested pointing to the tipsy Sacks who was desperately trying to stifle his laugh.
Tony looked dangerously at him, "Watch it Slacks! My patience isn't exactly limitless!"
He turned back to continue his conversation with the two girls and, noticing that they had abandoned him, groaned and then turned around once more to face Tim and Sacks.
THWACK!
He reeled backwards at the punch which hit him squarely on the jaw.
"My name is SACKS! You call me Slacks again and I will knock you unconscious!"
In hindsight Tony should have instinctively heeded the words that Gibbs had often painfully drummed into him. Calm down and think before acting. However, in unfamiliar territory and facing the man who almost cost him his career and his freedom, he snapped.
Tony lunged forward his right fist immediately impacting on Sacks nose, his left hand grabbing his shirt, making sure that he was held firm for an onslaught of blows.
Sacks landed on the floor and started to grapple from Tony's firm grip.
"Tony NO!" Tim squealed as he grabbed the back of Tony's shirt, attempting to lift him from the FBI agent.
As Tony shrugged the attempt to get him of Sacks, he pushed Tim backwards and he fell into a crowd of four young men huddled together enjoying the start of their pub crawl.
In a matter of seconds, the four young men advanced on Tim. Tony stopped pounding the chest of the struggling Sacks in time to notice that Tim was in danger. He immediately got to his feet and lunged at the younger man about to lay one on Tim's jaw. Sacks too got to his feet, and the three men soon were in full fight mode with the four Englishmen.
As all hell broke loose in the nightclub, it did not take long before Sacks, Tim and Tony found themselves being hauled by a group of uniformed police officers, and thrown into the back of a police van.
"I'm FBI!" Sacks squealed in protest as he tried in vain to reach into his pocket for his badge.
"You'll be telling me you're Dirty Harry next!" the older policeman said as he shoved Sacks into the van.
"Maybe he works on the X-Files Guv," the younger policeman grinned as he tightened the cuffs on Tony.
"Officer, I can explain, we are United States Federal Officers, I work for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and he does actually work for the FBI!"
Looking at the dishevelled three men, the older policeman shook his head in disgust,
"Well why don't you phone your bosses at the FBI and the Navy what's-it and get them to confirm your story...after you've been booked!"
Within an hour, a young police officer slammed the cell door shut on the three young agents. The only sounds inside the cell were a faint whimper from Tim McGee, followed by a groan from Sacks. A whispered voice eventually came from Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo.
"We are so dead."
To be continued...