I'm glad to see you guys are liking this one. The site's being wonky, though and not recording visitors correctly because for a while I had more reviewers than readers. BTW, I may tease our Timmy, but never to the point of hurting him.

Ducky was already picking through the trunks by the time Gibbs closed the door. Tim checked his voice mail while he waited, as the trunk that was being pawed through held all feminine attire, but he didn't laugh as the elderly doctor turned to him holding up a stuffed and padded tube of fabric shaped like the letter C.

"That's a bum roll, Ducky." He waited while Ducky turned to glance down at his own backside. "Elizabethan women wore them, not the men."

"Ah, of course, a sign of wealth was a pleasingly plump woman, I do believe."

Tony didn't look all that thrilled at that tidbit, so McGee moved them along, closing the trunks Sarah had been using and opening several more. "Okay, Tony, you still all right with working at the Bawdy Bosom? Most of the men at the Faire are there at some point. It will be a good chance to grab some images for facial recognition."

"Is the bum the only thing padded?"

*whack*

"Thanks, Boss."

To keep the teasing down to a minimum, McGee didn't want to waste any time, but DiNozzo quickly had his hands in the trunk of men's clothing. He came up with what looked like two legs of thick tights. "Are these what I think they are? I mean, something's missing." To prove his point, he waved them around, showing that they weren't attached to each other. They were designed to end at the top of the thigh, with only the outside edge continuing up to attach to a tie around the waist.

"What's the matter, Tony, you turning shy on us?" Gibbs couldn't help but grin at his senior agent, before turning to the younger one. "I assume that's where the codpiece comes into play?"

McGee smiled and nodded before Gibbs had a worrying thought. "They did wear underwear in the Middle Ages, right? There was some sort of boxers?"

"Of course, Boss. They were called braies, but they're not really boxers." Tim saw the expression building on Gibbs' face and hurried to finish. "They're more like tighty-whiteys."

Tony's attention kept shifting from the bum roll Ducky had dropped on the table to the pair of leggings he had in his hands. "Can I at least have pants that cover my bum?"

"Sure, Tony." McGee pulled out a pair of pants that were cut similar to modern day trousers, but in a coarsely woven fabric of dull blue. "A lot of guys aren't comfortable with hosen, so these are an accepted compromise. When he saw DiNozzo wince at the feel of the rough material, he grinned and revealed a secret. "Relax, they're lined. Otherwise, your delicate legs would be shredded by the end of the weekend."

Tony was almost as grateful for the soft cotton layer hidden in the pants as he was for the fact that his backside would be covered. Several linen shirts and a green woolen tunic completed his new wardrobe as McGee continued to explain. "The tunic works as a coat, and you'll need to be able to have a clean shirt for each shift at the Bawdy Bosom."

"Makes sense, what's that?" Tim handed him a hat and what, at first, looked like a lightweight wool tube, the rusty red contrasting with the green tunic.

"It's a hood. We'll set you up with a wire and a small camera hidden in it. You'll be our direct link to MTAC while we're there."

While Tony was trying on the hood, Ducky was back examining the contents of the trunks. "I don't suppose you would happen to have..."

"Did they have kilts back then?" Palmer knew how proud Ducky was of his heritage.

"Not exactly kilts, but..." McGee paused as he pulled out a long linen shirt and a massive piece of plaid fabric.

Ducky's eyes grew large as he reached out to reverently take them. "A leine and an authentic brat. Timothy, you have done your research, lad, thank you. I remember my great-grandfather telling me about them when I was just a wee one, but I've never actually had the opportunity to see them, and certainly never to wear one." He didn't hesitate to strip down and pull on the leine. Looking like an oversized shirt, it hung well past his knees, Next he took the lengthy fabric and expertly wound it around himself until the end hung off his shoulder. McGee handed him a thick belt which Ducky wrapped around his waist, securing the brat and pulling up the leine so it just brushed his knees. As he dressed, he regaled them with a story of an early visit with his great-grandfather, and as he continued to ramble on, his voice deepened as his accent became more pronounced, almost making some of his words hard to understand.

"I've got you listed with the Faire as a Chirurgeon, which is a medic, but would you mind also playing the part of a wandering storyteller?" McGee knew it was pretty much a rhetorical question, especially when he saw the smile.

Gibbs shook his head and grinned. His old friend was in his element with this case, and the garb was the icing on the cake. "Well, that was easy. What have you got for Palmer? We need he and Ducky to get back to determining cause of death."

"We need Palmer to also be doing double duty. Since you guys are coming instead of the friends that were planned, Sarah lost her helpers for the food cart she runs. It's going to be pretty hot this weekend, so pickles and lemonade with be a big selling item and she will need the help for at least a few hours a day."

"You want me to sell food?"

Jimmy looked a little disappointed, so Tim rushed to tell his reasons. "The roving vendors are the show people of the Faire. You're already further ahead in the speech than anyone else and you really have a flare for it, Jimmy. Besides, at the big events a food cart is expected and it will give you a perfect reason to interact with anyone there."

Apparently mollified, Jimmy nodded. "Okay, that makes sense. So, what do I wear?"

Tim had quickly realized that Palmer was a lot like himself and could shine as a character while being personally too shy to reach out. Earlier he'd thought about a jester for Jimmy, as he knew he could juggle, but the elaborate outfit would be risky with the rolling cart. Instead, he picked up the pair of hosen that Tony had been tossing around earlier and a multicolored cotehardie. One side of the long, fitted shirt was yellow, the other side green, although a brighter shade of green than the hosen. Even though there was a codpiece, Jimmy felt comfortable in the hosen as the brightly colored top reached almost to his knees.

One last dig through the trunk produced a bright red hat. The brim was thick and cushioned, reminiscent of a turban, while the fabric of the rest of the hat was gathered up at the top center to cascade down one side. If Jimmy's beaming face was any indications, it was the perfect finishing touch.

Behind them, Tony had to grumble. "The Autopsy Gremlin gets to be a dandy and I'm stuck as a laborer at the tavern. What's wrong with this picture, Boss."

Gibbs was finding the whole thing much more amusing than he'd ever admit as he leaned over to whisper in Tony's ear. "Just remember, he gets the pickles, you get the bar wenches."

"Oh, yeah."

-NCIS-

Tim quickly discovered that it was much harder to get Ducky and Jimmy out of their costumes than it was to ever get the two men into them, but eventually he regained possession of the garments and Gibbs sent them back down to autopsy and Tony off to study his vocabulary.

Once they were alone, Gibbs sat on the corner of the table and gave McGee an approving nod. "Looks like you've really thought this out, McGee."

He could feel his ears turning red. Praise was a rare thing from Gibbs. "Thanks, Boss. I never would have expected my hobby to intersect with a case like this."

Gibbs had been waiting for the opening. "Why didn't we know about this hobby of yours? Sarah tells me that you're one of the more successful fighters on the circuit."

"Didn't want to give Tony any more ammo to tease me with." Tim ducked his head and waited for the hand to connect. When that didn't happen, he looked back up in surprise. Gibbs was just grinning.

"I think watching a few rounds of jousting will make DiNozzo one of your biggest fans. Are you doing any siege fighting this weekend?"

Tim made a mental note to strangle his sister after the case was solved. "I'm scheduled to, but it'll depend on the investigation. I did get you authorized for archery if you'd like."

"Really?" Gibbs was intrigued enough to allow McGee to distract him with this. "How'd you manage that?"

"Called in a few favors. One of the participants won't be there for the opening weekend, so they're short a Nobel. You're now an Earl, which makes you the highest ranked Nobel at the Faire without a wife, so..."

Gibbs saw exactly where McGee was headed. "I can court a noble lady, and get close to our suspect."

"Exactly, especially since it looks like she's given herself a promotion to Princess."

There was one worry, though. "Can you teach me enough by tomorrow to pull it off?"

"The language may be different, but most of it boils down to honor and respect. You're a Marine, Boss, you're already halfway there."