Item #4: Catch a shark.
Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS, Jaws, or any of the movies I have previously referenced in this set of stories.
"How about I put you on a hook and throw you in the ocean?" Tony teased his junior agent. He, McGee, and Ziva were at Tony's desk, trying to figure out how he could feasibly catch a shark. So far, they had been unsuccessful, but Tony saw hope with this plan.
McGee just looked at him and shook his head. He leaned over Tony's keyboard and typed something into the open search engine. "Haha, very funny Tony. No, but this might be an idea…"
"Bad idea, McGee! Bad, bad idea!" Tony berated as he clung to the side of the tank. It was an open-top enclosure that also served as an exhibit for the aquarium's tourists. A few fish swam around, doing their best to not be eaten. McGee stood on the platform along the edge of the tank, perfectly calm, although he looked like he was trying not to laugh.
"Hey, you said you wanted to catch a shark. And you don't even have to catch this one. You just have to stay in there for a quarter of an hour."
Tony glanced warily at the thirteen foot beast silently cutting back and forth through the water in the middle of the tank. "How long has it been?"
"Not even two minutes."
He was wearing a diving suit, complete with regulator and oxygen. The breathing piece was not currently on him, of course, because he was talking to McGee. If it had not been attached to him, he probably would be throwing it at the agent.
"Unless you scare it, it will probably not even-"
"Don't finish that sentence, McGee! You'll just jinx me! Oh lord, it's coming over here!" The shark had, in fact, changed its course and was making its way over to Tony's general vicinity.
"Relax, Tony. My friend here at the aquarium told me that this guy is just friendly, and is not usually aggressive. Oh, and its name is Brutus."
"I can't relax. It's a primal fear, not something I can make go away. Like in Jaws, people run away from sharks. Nope, sorry, I can't make myself stop being, ah, concerned."
"But maybe I can," said a new voice.
Tony whipped his body around to look at the newcomer, and caused vibrations to ripple through the water. This, in turn, brought his companion in the tank to become more interested in the perfectly edible piece of meat clinging to the side.
Ziva stood at the other end of the enclosure, clad in a suit similar to his. The only difference was that she looked better in it than he did.
"You look funny with that hood-thing on," he commented, trying to ignore Brutus as he came to be just over ten yards away.
She replied in kind, but made no effort to help him. "You do not look too good yourself. You seem rather pale."
Surely his fear was pungent, so he didn't answer. Grinning, she put on her regulator and slipped into the tank.
The shark, barely five yards away, immediately began to turn around as his powerful nose caught her scent. Even through his distorted view of the water beneath him, he could see the large tail fins of the intimidating beast miss him by less than a foot. Obviously, Ziva was more appealing than Tony. With smooth, even, and non-threatening strokes Ziva leisurely made her way towards Tony. He heard McGee move around on the platform and presumably lean against its rail.
He attempted to stay calm by watching her and not the shark. When she arrived next to him, he instinctually groped in the water for her hand. The regulator went back on his face, and together they slipped back under the surface of the water to watch as the shark came to finally greet them.
A/N: Do not fret, Brutus is a nice shark and will not eat them. Besides, the aquarium officials probably wouldn't let Tony and Ziva into a tank with a hungry shark. On that note, I must also say that I apologize for any factual mistakes, because I really know nothing about what one would do in order to swim with a shark and what rules apply. Also, this particular shark did not behave as most sharks would, I feel obligated to point out.
Anyways, did you enjoy Tony vs. Brutus? I liked writing it, especially with the Jaws theme playing in the background. REVIEW, please!
One last thing, and then I promise this long Author's Note will end. How many of you want a story about Item #7 (Write letter to Roger Ebert re: his reviews of Full Metal Jacket and Benji the Hunted)? I really have no idea what to do for this situation.
Next chapter, Item #5 (Develop a catch phrase) shall be up before Thanksgiving!