Chpt 5
Gibbs ignores the silent statement as he finishes washing the last of the dishes. Grabbing a second towel he wipes out the sink and wipes down the table and stove while Tony finishes drying the last dish. Gibbs does a quick walk through making sure all the dishes are in their right cupboard.
"Gotta admit, she does make a mean cup of coffee." Gibbs savors the cup in his hand and debates making another pot to take with him to work.
"I thought that was a prerequisite to being camp cook. Had to know how to make the boss's coffee." Gibbs is shocked and delighted by the faint teasing he can hear in his senior agent's voice. Deciding not to push the man too far he just shrugs as he replies,
"No they just have to know how not to burn everything, emphasis on everything, on the menu." Gibbs puts a friendly arm around DiNozzo who tenses briefly on contact then relaxes.
"Come on Tony let's go see what specs she's coming up with."
Laurie's in the den working with a sketch pad and pencil. The two watch in silence as she completes her sketch. She looks up when she's finished, only slightly surprised to see them standing there. Gibbs asks to see the sketch and when he's done, he tells her that he'll make a place for her on his team if she ever wants to leave her other jobs.
"Thank you for the offer and the compliment. I can't say that I'll ever retire completely from one or the other but I'll keep it on a back burner. In the meantime, I generally start all my restaurants with this look on the outside and then the inner décor is based on what region I'm in."
Tony steps forward and asks if he can look at the sketch. Laurie hands it to him, noting the slight trembling in his hand. Obviously Gibbs job offer has shaken what little self confidence the senior field agent still has. Gibbs notices too but says nothing waiting to see what Laurie will do.
"So, you have an exterior, what are you going to do with the interior?" Tony's question brings a smile to Laurie's face.
"Hopefully, Mr. DiNozzo you'll be able to show me."
Tony glances at Gibbs and they exchange confused looks.
"My team was based out of Coronado, so I only came to the east coast when training required it. It's my own fault; I could have explored more and didn't do so."
They all head outside. Gibbs heads for the Navy Yard and another day at NCIS. Tony escorts Laurie to his car and hands her in like the gentleman that he can be when he tries. Laurie keeps her attention on the roads and asks what cities and towns are nearby.
Tony gives her the sightseer's tour for the first hour. Laurie finally turns to him and says, "Why don't you ask your questions and we go from there."
Tony pulls into Rock Creek Park. He asks a few questions regarding her becoming a Navy SEAL then gets to the question that's been on his mind all morning.
"Are you really going to open a restaurant or is that just a cover story?"
Laurie loops a strand of hair behind her ear and grins at him. Tony can't help himself, that natural grin has him grinning back. Laurie looks straight at him and says, "Yep."
Tony laughs in spite of himself. The woman beside him could have lied, or tried to but instead she'd told him the truth and earned herself just a slice of the trust that he's been losing for the last few months. He questions her about being a cook in a wartime unit, about being a doctor in a world of unrest.
"Do you ever really have the time to sleep?"
"When I'm in a place that I feel safe, when I know that my six is covered, yes, I sleep. Maybe for a few hours, or like at Gibbs, for longer it all depends on the trust I feel in those around me."
"Yeah, I noticed that you fell asleep almost right away. Then again, not many people want to take on El Jefe."
Laurie nods in agreement as she adds, "Yeah, I don't see many people getting past the two of you."
"Especially Gibbs."
Laurie frowns as she tries to decide if he's praising his boss or downplaying his own role in her safety.
"You were there too Tony; don't sell yourself short. If I didn't trust you, there's no way Gibbs could have convinced me to get in this car with you."
He mulls that over and swears softly as they pull up to the entrance of the Navy Yard. He starts to turn around after apologizing when she tells him to drive in and take her down to Abby. "She and Tim might have come up with any ideas for locations for the new restaurant."
"We could always try calling them."
"Why, Special Agent DiNozzo does this mean that you don't want to share my company?"
Tony has to think about that. For the first time in months, he's actually comfortable around a woman, and it's a woman that he's known less than 24 hours. He's not relaxed, not yet, but he doesn't feel the need to drop her into McGee's lap while he runs for the hills. He watches as she steps out of the car wondering if she'd put some kind of spell on him.
"What'd you do to me?" The question is out before he can stop it. She turns to look at him and he shakes his head, not willing to repeat himself or explain what he's not sure of. He looks up and McGee's just getting out of his own vehicle.
"Never mind, there's McGeek. Hey Probie, any luck on accommodations for the commander's new restaurant?"
McGee stands by his car as they approach. He absently notes that the tall blonde could make a good second for his buddy Tony as her coloring compliments Tony's Italian heritage. They all walk into the building and Tim watches as she matches Tony stride for stride.
Tim hurries to his desk knowing that if Tony gets caught there while he's supposed to be escorting the commander around the area, heads will roll. He brings up the plasma and points to several locations on the map.
"Using what I remember about your restaurant in Aspen, I based my criteria around locations and population. As you tend to cater to the armed forces and the local police and fire departments, Abby and I were able to pinpoint five possible sites.
"A couple of them are or were warehouses that are or were scheduled for demolition. There is one location that is just a large empty building and the last two are large empty lots with possible building potential."
Tim prints off the locations and out of habit hands the sheet to Tony. Abby has come in during this time; when Laurie catches sight of her Signs to the Goth that she wants to talk to McGee for a moment. Abby nods and speaks up, letting the men become aware of her presence.
"Hey Tony, can I see ya in my lab for a few minutes before you get carried away by Laurie?"
"Sure Abbs. Hey McGoo try not to scare the commander off with your techno-babble while I'm gone."
"Yeah Tony whatever." Once the other two have entered the elevator he turns serious green eyes to Laurie. "What can I do for you commander?"
Laurie smiles at his expression. She does like this young man, but it's the other green-eyed male that is occupying her thoughts. "I wanted to make a few comments: the first thing is that my name is Laurie. My rank is commander but friends call me Laurie or Cookie. The second thing: does he always speak so derisively to you regarding your last name?"
Tim gives her a genuine smile, one that speaks volumes about the way this man feels about the brother that is downstairs with Abby. "For Tony, that's mild harassment. It's also the first time in weeks that he's deigned to do so; in a way it makes me feel better as it tells me that he's coming out of his funk."
Tim holds his hand out to her, "My name is Tim or Timothy; I answer to both. It's nice to meet you Laurie."
She shakes his hand as she says, "Nice to meet you Tim and as long as you don't make us out to be a couple just yet, yeah it would be an honor to be in one of your books."
Tim smiles then blushes as he realizes she'd picked up on his intention to make her Agent Tommy's new love interest. He asks her how she'd managed to obtain her ranking at such an early age and she hands him a business card.
"When you are ready to start formulating my character, you call me at that number. If it's within my power to do so, I'll answer all your questions at that time."
Tim looks up from the business card in time to see her wince. She then takes a running step to the elevator. Not willing to wait for the machine, she teleports out of Tim's sight.
Abby in the meantime has been telling Tony about her newest imaging system. Tony nods as he tunes her out, trying without success to ignore the sudden headache coming on. Tony slumps to the floor just as Laurie teleports into the lab. Abby turns when Laurie shows up and puts her hands to her mouth when she sees Tony's pain-filled form on the floor.
"What's wrong? What happened to Tony?"
"Abby I need you to calm down and call Gibbs. Let him know what's happening."
"Gibbs should be down here by now; he always knows when I need to tell him something."
"Please, Abby, humor me."
Abby speed dials Gibbs cell phone. The gruffly spoken white haired man flips his phone open as he signals McGee to follow him.
"Yeah Abbs, what's wrong?"
"Tony collapsed in my lab! You should be here by now Gibbs!"
"Is Commander Fields there?
"Yes Gibbs, she made me call you."
"Then Tony's in good hands Abbs. Remember Abby you're the one who called her in and think about why you trusted her with Tony in the first place. I'm on my way, be there in two minutes." He growls at the elevator taking too long and heads for the stairs, McGee only a second behind him.
Laurie in the meantime has Tony lying on the floor, away from the door and is checking him over for any other injuries.
"Tony, it's Laurie, I need you to try and relax so that I can heal you and stop this pain."
"Head…aches…"
"I know…Shhh…take it easy, Tony. We'll get you through this. Abby can you come sit with him for a minute please?"
"Sure. Hi, Tony." Abby's whispering and it still hurts Tony's sensitive head.
"Hi Abbs, don't worry; s'not your fault."
Abby smiles at him, "Oh Tony."
As Gibbs and Tim run down to Abby's lab, Tim asks Gibbs, "Uh Boss, just who is Laurie Fields?"
"If all goes right, Tony's salvation, McGee."
A/N: Please read and review, thanks