A/N
Thanks for all the feedback on the first chapter - I'm glad somebody liked it enough to say so :). I'm still finding my way with the characters and the storyline so hopefully I won't disappoint you. I'd probably have written more by now if I didn't have to go to work :( but I'll keep the instalments coming as quickly as possible. Thanks again! :)
--
DiNozzo had barely exited the elevator when he started issuing orders to his team. 'McGee, Ziva, grab your computer…stuff. Find Abby and meet me in the parking garage in five minutes; we've got work to do.' Startled, McGee glanced up at the senior field agent.
'But Tony…' He was cut off before he could even finish his sentence.
'McGee, do you really want to spend the rest of your life in cybergeek land, because I sure as hell aren't planning on spending the next six months of my life stuck on a goddamned boat!'
'Actually, Tony, it's a…oww! What was that for?'
'Just do it McGee. There'll be plenty of time to explain later. Right now we need to get out of here.' Without even a glance backwards he stormed off in the direction of autopsy. He needed to speak to Ducky.
--
Closer to ten minutes later, the foursome were in DiNozzo's car heading away from the building.
'Ok hotshot, what's the big plan?' McGee demanded as soon as they had reached the road.
'Well, the way I see it, the first thing we need to do is buy ourselves some time. Ziva and I could get sent away at any minute, but if Vance can't find us to deliver our orders, we can avoid it for a few days at least. I need you to log onto the NCIS mainframe and insert a couple of backdated leave requests authorised by Director Shephard. Give us a fortnight off starting tomorrow, and if anyone asks tell them we're taking a vacation together. Make sure the requests can't be traced back to you'
'And I thought cover stories were supposed to be believable,' Ziva grunted from the back seat.
'Ziva, if you'd rather be sent back to Israel in disgrace than have someone believe you fell for my charms, that's fine by me. If, on the other hand, you'd at least like to make an attempt at saving the team, suck it up and listen.' The jovial Tony was gone, replaced by the no-nonsense persona he adopted whenever things got really serious.
'Ok pseudo-Gibbs,' Abby interrupted before Ziva could turn the battle into an all-out war, 'let's say we play ball. You and Ziva are off playing house and McGee and I are sitting at our desks thinking about how much the situation sucks…and then what?'
'Then we take Vance down.'
'Um…Tony?' McGee was the first one to voice the doubts at the front of everybody's mind. 'How exactly are we going to do that?'
'I never said it was a complete plan, McGee… I'm going to need your help to fill in a few of the details. We need to stop for supplies and takeout then I want you to set up camp in Gibbs' basement. First job is to find anything, and I do mean anything, on Vance that we might be able to use. The guy's dirty – I can smell it. Like I said, we just need to fill in a few details. If you guys are as good as I think you are, we're not gonna have a problem.'
'So, no pressure,' Abby muttered from the seat next to Tony. 'Did anyone think to tell Gibbs that we're invading his basement?' All eyes turned to the senior field agent, whose eyes remained glued to the road.
'Uh, actually, Gibbs is the reason we're invading his basement. He was looking pretty sick earlier. I persuaded him to get some rest, but after everything that's happened over the past couple of weeks I think we should stay close in case he needs us.' He yelped as a hard punch to his arm momentarily distracted him from the road. 'Ouch, Abbs! What'd you hit me for?'
'That was for not telling me that Gibbs was sick. You don't want to know what I'm going to do if anything bad happened after you left him alone.' Realising the folly of starting an argument with the glaring scientist, DiNozzo wisely remained silent.
--
'Abbs, I've been gone an hour and a half, max,' DiNozzo's attempts to placate the scientist fell on deaf ears as she made a beeline for their team leader's staircase, 'I'm sure Gibbs is fine.'
'You'd better hope so, mister,' she muttered under her breath as she climbed the stairs and made her way towards the older man's room. She paused as she reached the doorway.
'Don't wake him, Abbs,' DiNozzo whispered as he came to a stop behind her. The pair looked in on a scene they had never expected to witness. Their friend was lying face up on the bed wearing only his vest and a pair of shorts, his blankets and sweatpants long-discarded on the floor. It was obvious even from a distance that he was shivering violently.
'Get me some water, Tony,' the scientist ordered in a tone that left no room for argument. She picked up the blankets and slowly wrapped them round the shaking form. 'He's burning up,' she announced, 'we need to keep him hydrated. I'm going to wake him up and try to get him to drink something.' She looked questioningly at her teammate who nodded his assent. Dropping everything she was carrying on the end of the bed, she sat down next to the sleeping form. She reached out and gently shook the older man's shoulder. 'Gibbs, wake up.'
'Not now Abbs,' the murmured response gave no indication that her order was about to be obeyed.
'C'mon Boss, you gotta be thirsty,' DiNozzo pleaded, 'just one little glass of water and we'll let you sleep as long as you want.' A pair of unfocussed eyes came to rest on the duo.
'Water?' Assuming that this was the closest thing to co-operation that the were going to get, the pair dragged their team leader to a sitting position. Abby wrapped an arm around the barely conscious man and leaned him against her for support while the younger man handed over the glass of water. When the glass was finally empty, Abby pulled Gibbs even closer and rested her head on his. Within seconds he was fast asleep.
'Abbs, I need you downstairs working on this,' Tony reminded his friend as she showed signs of settling in for the night.
'Look at him, Tony!' she countered, 'You can't expect me to leave him alone like this! He looks so…not Gibbs…'
'Ok Abby, I'll fetch your laptop,' he conceded, 'but I really do need you to work on this. Start with the director's personal files – I know you'll know where she kept them. If there's any dirt to be found on Vance, I'm sure Director Shepard would have known what it was.'
Several hours of reading later, Abby's eyes began to widen.
