Title: degrees of a smile
Disclaimer: not my characters
Warnings: pre-series (mostly)
Pairings: mentions of Gibbs/Shannon; implied Gibbs/Tony
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 255
Point of view: third
Prompt: Tony (& or /) Gibbs, when asked how he got hired at NCIS Tony claims it's because he smiled (ep. 1x02), and while that may be true, what events led up to that smile?
It's been a nasty case, all the evidence leading to dead-ends, the public and the higher-ups demanding answers, demanding someone to crucify for four dead women and two dead kids.
NCIS is brought in when the seventh victim is a petty officer on leave; her daughter survived the attack, but hasn't said a word.
Gibbs arrives at the hospital in time to see the little girl laughing at a guy in a suit, his hands waving in the air as his voice booms out some story that sounds vaguely familiar.
Instead of barging in, Gibbs hangs back and waits, to see what will happen. This guy can't be the killer: the girl definitely saw something, and she wouldn't be this comfortable if he were.
The story ends and the guy leans forward, says something quietly. The girl shakes her head, looking away, and he says something else.
The girl takes a deep breath and then throws herself at him, sobbing.
Gibbs decides to step in, and he's about to take the guy to task when the girl says clearly, tears and anger in her voice, "It was Ms. Gregor."
When the guy turns, still cradling the sobbing girl in his arms, he smiles sadly at Gibbs. "Tiffany Gregor is the first victim's new husband's girlfriend," he says softly. "I'll stay with Emily here for a bit longer."
Gibbs nods.
Later, he'll offer that kid a job. Much later, he'll realize that, next to marrying Shannon, bringing Tony DiNozzo to NCIS is the best thing he ever did.