Author's Note: for the non Aussies among us – drongo is a term often meant to mean 'idiot' or 'stupid' however more recent use of the word indicates it is more mild than the two other words, and often it is used in a humorous sense. Just as DiNozzo calls McGee a 'knucklehead', you'd likely find me calling my brother a 'drongo', or a 'turkey' if he'd locked his key in the house – just a gentle means of paying the individual out, but in a nice sense…did that make any sense to anyone?
The writer's block is also worsening. Of everything that I've written in the past three years, I'm most unhappy with this chapter.
DiNozzo, it seemed was running late. He'd barged out of his hotel suite finally, in time to discover that Gibbs, Ziva and McGee had already gone downstairs. Cursing, he'd waited for the elevator and run into the back alley to find all but one of the cars had gone already.
On the remaining car he saw Dunn perched on the bonnet, the end of his tie held between his teeth as the Australian played what sounded like a particularly challenging game of Tetris on his mobile phone. Glancing up and seeing DiNozzo he good-naturedly said, "About time!" and paused his game. Grabbing a number of folders from next to him, he hopped off the car and presented the documents to Tony with a flourish.
DiNozzo grabbed them and flicked through, realizing that they were update reports on what the investigative teams working through the night had discovered. Mostly it was lab-tech mumbo-jumbo but one page caught his attention, and he paused mid-stride as he re-read an officer's report;
"Enquiries conducted with Westpac Bank have revealed video footage from an ATM located adjacent a bombing scene showing the offender of this particular bombing parking the Lamborghini before entering the nightclub. The sex, age, race or distinguishing features of the offender are not evident due the poor quality of the film. The footage depicts the offender leaving on foot after spending approximately 20 minutes inside the nightclub. The reporting officer respectfully suggests that enquiries are conducted with any surviving witnesses inside the nightclub with a view to obtaining a description of the offender, if possible."
Sliding into the front passenger seat, Tony put the thick set of folders down on his knees as Dunn started the car and they began to move. As they pulled into the city traffic, Tony started fidgeting until Roland finally asked, "Need me to stop for a bathroom, Special Agent DiNozzo?"
DiNozzo laughed uncomfortably, "No, and it's Tony. I just wanted to know why you lied for us; me and Ziva."
"Tony, you know it's an investigator's instinct to make judgments about people based on the things they say and do. I do not make snap decisions about people, but after 24 hours I normally have a pretty good idea about them. I hope you won't mind if I speak of my impressions of you and your team."
Tony shook his head, no and gestured for the Australian to continue speaking.
"Your boss, Special Agent Gibbs seems to be a man of few words, and I'd be willing to bet, even fewer when it comes to praise. He's difficult to please and follows his own set of rules, which I would hazard a guess he's established from his own experience, some of which have been very tragic. He's got his own code of honor and despite the hard time he gives his team from time to time, he's fiercely proud and protective of them - you in particular Tony." Dunn said, sparing a glance at Tony as the car pulled up to a red light.
DiNozzo had to admit, the Australian had Gibbs just as well figured out as Tony had, except Tony had known Gibbs for 8 years to Dunn's 24 hours. He wasn't sure about Gibbs' protective feelings towards himself, but everything else had been pretty accurate so he was willing to give Dunn nine out of ten. Shooting the Federal Agent a quick grin, the NCIS agent said, "Do Ziva next."
"Like Gibbs, she's endured a lot of tragic experiences in her time. Unlike Gibbs, she's even less willing to trust people and as a result shuns friendships and relationships until she trusts the person in question, and even then she won't have faith in them completely. Her experience dictates that even close friends must not ever get close enough to her to hurt her, and as such she frequently puts up walls around herself. Those who manage to break down some of these walls get glimpses at the real her but she will rapidly re-establish those barriers for fear of being thought of as weak or vulnerable."
DiNozzo must have given him a look of amazement because Roland laughed and said, "Don't think I'm psychic Tony, I've cheated and seen bits of your files, so I'm drawing conclusions from them also."
Dunn seemed to have thought the conversation was at an end, and after several minutes of silence, DiNozzo had to ask, "What about me?"
Shooting the American a quizzical look, Dunn took a few seconds to realize what DiNozzo was talking about. "You, DiNozzo, are complicated. You put on a mask of stupidity, or arrogance, or laziness at times when you aren't. You're far more intelligent than you let on, you aren't an arrogant man and I'm willing to bet that when no one else is around to see it, you work like buggery. When people around you are in a bad mood, you act out to draw their temper towards you rather than let them attack anyone else. You probably dated a different woman each week once upon a time, but as we just drove past a bus full of flight attendants without a comment from you, you're probably looking for something more than a one-night stand now. And you've worked for Special Agent Gibbs longer than anyone else in the agency has, without complaint, which considering his hard to please nature and the fact that he rarely gives praise indicates you've got a stronger drive than anyone realizes. I'm willing to bet that while there's nothing in this file to indicate it, you've been offered promotions which you've turned down."
Tony mulled over that for a long few minutes whilst the car kept moving amidst the traffic. "Even if that stuff was right, and I'm not saying it is, you still haven't answered my real question – why lie for Ziva and I?"
"Would you believe me if I said I just wanted to put you guys in a nicer hotel?" Dunn asked.
DiNozzo chuckled for a second but said, "What's the real reason?"
Dunn stopped the car for another red light and said, "I'm willing to bet a man who makes his own rules like Gibbs has a rule about dating people you work with."
"Rule 12: Never date a co-worker." Tony answered, wondering where this was going.
"Right," Dunn sighed, "well a man like Gibbs will one day have to realize that his experiences can't pre-determine how the rest of his team live their lives. Eventually they'll have to make their own decisions. However my intention is to let you and Officer David keep your jobs long enough to convince him to change his mind."
"But Ziva and I aren't dating," DiNozzo said, confused.
"Tony. As we left the airport you didn't look at any of the numerous attractive girls in the terminal. You haven't flirted with the hotel staff or any of my female team members. For our entire car ride, you haven't checked out a single girl in the cars alongside us, or on the pavements. In fact the only woman I've seen you looking at has been Officer David. What do you think that suggests to me?" Dunn asked.
DiNozzo didn't like this, the man was a little too aware of how he felt, but after years of keeping his emotions hidden, he decided to answer truthfully. "It would suggest that I have feelings for my co-worker."
Dunn nodded, but Tony continued, "But she's done nothing to suggest that the feelings are mutual."
Roland gave Tony an incredulous look. "A Mossad assassin trusts you enough to fall asleep next to you, leaving herself completely vulnerable and you don't think that's indicative of something? She sits on your lap for the car ride to the hotel from the airport instead of taking a different car? She glances at you every time you're not looking at her DiNozzo and the biggest giveaway is her complete disinterest in me every time I try to flirt with her. She's got it bad for you mate, you just need to wake up to it."
For the rest of the car ride, Tony was silent.