Disclaimer is in Chapter 1.
Chapter 10
Tony knocked on the door.
He saw a shadow behind the peephole briefly and then heard the sound of the locks being opened.
Rebecca opened the door.
She had just showered, he noticed. Her dark hair made curly by the water. She stood there in a thin white silk housecoat, decorated with a Asian print of dark purple flowers and jade tigers. An earthy floral scent reached his noses and he couldn't help but inhale.
"I'm a good agent. I'm a good agent. I'm a good agent." He said to himself.
"I'm sure you are, Tony." Rebecca smiled. Apparently not quite to himself after all. "Can I help you with something."
"Yeah, ummm…Gibbs…"
"Come in…don't want to stand in the door way like this." Rebecca stepped out of the way to admit Tony.
He noticed the dogs curled up by the patio doors.
"Good guard dogs." He commented.
"Even guards need a time to relax. I saw it was you. If you were someone I didn't know, they'd be watching you. If you were someone I didn't like, they'd be at your throat."
Tony gulped.
"So…you were saying…Gibbs…" Rebecca prompted.
"Ah, right." He was still distracted by the dogs.
"Tony…" Rebecca all but purred as she ran a fingernail along his jaw. He turned his gaze to her. "That's better. Now…you were saying something about Gibbs?"
He suddenly hated hearing his boss's name coming from Rebecca's mouth. Somehow, he regained enough control to focus on the matter at hand.
"He wants to know what time to meet in the class. And when we'll have time to conduct our investigation."
"Oh, that's easy. I'd suggest meeting for breakfast around oh-six-thirty and we can start class at 0730. From there, we'll be together until around lunch when you'll be given a class assignment which will allow you to start your investigation."
"How so?" Tony asked, frowning slightly.
"Now, DiNozzo, I'm not going to ruin all my fun and give you an advantage over the rest of your team." Rebecca smiled while shaking a finger at him.
"If I were Gibbs, would you tell?"
It was Rebecca's turn to frown.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, if it were Gibbs in front of you right now…would you tell him?"
Rebecca shrugged.
"I don't know." She admitted. "I've been told that he can be very persuasive."
Tony tensed. She was being honest and it was bothering him. In fact, she was bothering him. He was Anthony DiNozzo…a good agent…no, a great agent…but still in Gibbs' shadow. It ate at him. And here was a gorgeous woman…smart…funny…witty…all but admitting that she'd give Gibbs something that she was not willing to give him.
He clenched a fist, trying to control his voice.
"Tomorrow at oh-six-thirty. I'll let Gibbs know." Tony almost spat out his boss's name. Pivoting, he left Rebecca's room, all but running from her sight.
As the door closed behind, he leaned up against the wall to collect himself.
He was acting like a Probie. Time to be the agent he knew he was.
Gibbs looked up at Tony entered his room. The team was familiarizing themselves on Colonel Essex, amazed that he had managed to live a life so secret from his wife for so long.
Tony relayed the information for the next day.
"What kind of exercise can she give us that will help the investigation?" Ziva asked.
Tony shrugged and looked at Gibbs.
"Why don't you ask her, boss? She all but admitted she'd tell you." Tony's voice couldn't hide all of the bitterness. "I'm going to bed. G'night."
Tim stared after Tony's departing figure. He looked sideways to Ziva.
"And…." The young agent started. "What was that all about?"
"Damned if I know, but I'm going to find out." Gibbs said tersely, leaving the room.
"Looks like it is just you and me, Tim." Ziva said softly.
Tim's head jumped up to look at her.
"Easy there, Romeo." Ziva laughed quietly. "I was going to say that we better get as much reading done as possible before Gibbs comes back and hogs the files."
Tim blushed.
Another knock.
Rebecca sighed. For a spa and resort, she wasn't getting much relaxing done.
She peeked through the eyehole and signaled her dogs to relax. Opening the door, the dark-haired woman admitted Gibbs into her room.
"So what happened?" He asked.
Rebecca blinked.
"You'll have to be more specific." She said.
"Tony. I sent him to you for information. He came back, relayed it and left in huff saying something about you willing to give me information that you wouldn't give him."
Rebecca shook her head sadly.
"For all the stories Ducky told me about Tony, he never once mentioned Tony being so overly emotional."
Gibbs placed a hand on Rebecca's arm and looked into her eyes.
"There's more to us than Ducky's stories, Rebecca." He said softly. "And he's not always correct in his perceptions."
"So I see." Rebecca looked at Gibbs' hand.
"Why were you so determined to drive like a maniac to get here?" Gibbs asked, still touching her.
"Because Ducky told me you never lose." Rebecca's eyes sparkled. "It was time for that perception to be disproven."
"Promise me something." Gibbs tilted the younger woman's head up so that she was looking right at him. "Please don't put yourself in danger like that. Ducky would be devastated if something happened to you…and I don't know if I could tell him. Besides, I made him a promise that you'd return to him in alive, well and in one piece. Please don't prove me wrong on that."
Rebecca licked her lips and nodded.
"So, will you tell me how this exercise you're giving us tomorrow will help us with our investigation?" Gibbs smiled his winning smile.
Rebecca's mouth dropped open.
"Out!" She started laughing as she pushed the older agent towards the door. "Get out! I'll see you tomorrow!"