It was as Tim turned; still tightly clutching his wet towel and headed off down the garden path towards the darker shadows provided by the large tree that he heard it.
Agent McGee?
Tim ground to a halt, his entire body tense. The sheer surprise of hearing his name had caused his heart to practically leap out of his chest and he was finding it hard not to panic. He took a deep calming breath, a tremor involuntarily wracking his chill body as the wind took advantage of his exposed position and peered out of the shadows of the house into the night.
When he saw it, he couldn't believe he hadn't even heard the black SUV pull up quietly to the curb. What sort of special agent was he? It hadn't been there an instant before he was sure. He had obviously been too wrapped up in his own considerations and concerns that he was now faced with one. He had been identified by someone who knew him or at least knew of him and he must now face the music.
He took a step further down the garden path towards the SUV, further away from the comforting shadows and tried to peer into the dark tinted vehicle. Well he may not currently be in the best position but he sure as hell wasn't getting into any unknown car with strangers. He watched as the driver's side window slid further down and he clutched his towel apprehensively as he searched for a familiar face. And his heart stopped and his face blazed up as he recognised who was driving the black SUV through Base at that time of night.
It was the Wicked Witch of the West! Well to be more precise it was the Base Commander. The FEMALE Base Commander whose fierce uncompromising reputation had earned her the tag of the Wicked Witch of the West. Her surname being West had merely directed people to what seemed a most obvious nickname.
McGee had been briefly introduced to her along with the rest of the team late that very afternoon on arrival at Base. Tim remembered how her eyes had slid over him as unworthy of her attention. Later it had been Tony who had tagged her personal assistant, a rather fawning, scrawny young man as the 'Flying Monkey' just like the Witches Hench monkeys in the Wizard of Oz. Tony had then cried out' I'll get you my pretty' and had proceeded to chase Ziva unceremoniously shrieking and laughing down the hallway….before they had both careened into Tim knocking him over. Tim had clutched desperately at the door jam to stop himself from falling but instead managed a slow sort of slide into the open Base Commanders office.
It was this second meeting that brought the heat to his face as Commander West had been about to leave her office only to find her doorway blocked by a rather large ungainly NCIS agent. She had merely looked at him, one eyebrow raised higher than the other, a trick McGee had always envied and then while he tried to stammer out an explanation and an apology she simple stepped over him and continued down the hallway, her face a mask of contempt.
This was just about the worst person he could have considered at this moment to find him. Suddenly Military Police, a Navy wife, a cranky staff Sergent, hell Gibbs himself didn't seem all that bad.
'Well it is Agent McGee isn't it?' He could hear her voice tightening, accustomed to command, to being answered. 'Yes Mamn' he mumbled
'May I possible enquire as to what you are doing lurking about outside at this time of night practically naked? Or is this some new way NCIS has thought of to provoke the fine upstanding residents of my Base?'
Tim opened his mouth to say something and paused. What should he say? That Tony locked him out? That would make him, Gibbs's entire team and all of NCIS look like ridiculous jokers. Not the best thing when trying to gain the confidence of the Base Command, make that the actual Base Commander. Should he lie? No Tim knew he was a terrible liar and exposed as he was like this to her there was no way his body wouldn't betray him. Normally all he had to worry about was his pink tipped ears or his face blushing but here…..
He sighed and settled for all of the truth he knew for sure. 'I got locked out, I was called out of the showers and the front door was open and I stepped out for a second to see why and…. 'He shrugged and waited for her to enquire further.
She leaned over for a closer look and Tim felt her gaze sweep up and down him .. and then up him again. He couldn't help but shiver again and his time it didn't have anything to do with the chill wind.
'Exactly how long have you been out here?' Her gaze was predatory and McGee waited for some sort of trap. 'Ummm not that long but long enough to know it might be a while before anyone realises where I am. I didn't mean to be a bother to anyone or to cause a scene; I would rather be tucked up safe and warm in bed but …. He shrugged again and waited.
Commander Willomena West or 'Willow' to her few old friends suddenly found herself thinking about how she would like to tuck this poor abandoned thing up into her bed and warm his large chilled body with her own much smaller warm one. She was rather surprised by her own response as she was surrounded by men all day. Still it wasn't often she was presented by one in such a package as this. Mostly the men angered her or were incompetent or stupid or tried to tell her how to do her job or sneered at her behind her back. She had learnt to ride over it all and if they called her names because she was good at what she did and didn't buckle and compromise every time someone wanted something, well so be it.
Still she found herself changing her mind as to what she was going to do. She had her cell in her car, she could have simply called Agent Gibbs and asked him to come collect his errant Agent. Instead she found herself calling out to him
'Well we can't have you standing around and freezing to death. Get in the car and I will take you back to my place, I was on my way there now and we will see what we can do about this situation.'
McGee's mind flashed over this afternoon's incident and all he had heard of The Wicked Witch in an instant and his mind searched for the answer he should give. Was it a veiled order? Could he trust her? Why wouldn't he trust her? What choice did he have? Could he actually die of pneumonia? His brain computed probabilities, sorted files, archived inappropriate answers and suddenly stalled as he heard something he had not been expecting.
'Well Agent McGee, you look like you have been picked up by a Kansas tornado and it has whisked all your clothes off'. The Commander smiled hoping the silly comment might ease his fears. He looked petrified and ready to bolt.
Tim realised that the Commander knew full well what her nickname was and that she was trying to ease his fears by making light of the situation. It didn't make him feel any better, somehow it almost seemed worse, like he was an errant child who had done something naughty and needed to be lured home where a good ticking off waited for him.
Still if this was the situation he was in and he wanted her to see him as a man then he should deal with it as a man. He nodded to her, straitened his back, stood tall squaring his shoulders and with a further tightening of his most precious towel he strode purposefully towards the car.
'Come here my pretty' she whispered to herself wickedly under her breath as Tim walked slowly around the SUV to hop into the passenger seat. Her eyes quickly roamed over the acres of exposed male flesh while McGee settled himself and his towel into the seat, attempting to cover up as much of himself as he could and failing miserably. He flushed awkwardly and couldn't meet her eyes as he turned to put his seatbelt on. His towel which had seemed inadequate standing up now rose even higher up on his thigh than he thought possible now that he was sitting down.
Commander West's eyes lingered a little on his strong thighs. Men's thighs were so completely different from women's, thick and strong and heavily dusted with light hair. She realised just how long it had been since she had really had a look at a mans thighs. Not knees sticking out of shorts but bare male muscular upper thighs.
She tried a reassuring smile on him which she was obviously out of practise with, as it seemed to make him more nervous and she started up the vehicle and pulled smoothly back out onto the street.
She reached out and felt him instinctively draw into himself and away from her. Ok need to establish some trust here she told herself and she tweaked the heat up further causing a solid wave of warm air flowing over Tim's bare body. He almost purred as the warm air started to soak into his chilled skin and then he stopped himself and decided a Thank you to the Commander was probably more appropriate.
Willow smiled and waived away his awkward thanks as she continued to drive down the tree lined streets to her house.
She sighed as she thought of the time her position took up and how her reputation as a 'Witch' prevented casual dating. It wasn't as if she was really all that old or even unattractive. Her chestnut hair she kept free of grey and was still thick and lush, when she allowed it to tumble around her shoulders, free of pins. Her figure was slim and fit and she had been considered quiet statuesque in her day. It was just that well; no one ever even looked anymore. She was just Commander West or the Wicked Witch or even she had once caught a young ensign calling her Witchy Poo. Her look alone had nearly caused the young man to mess himself and she had made a note to discuss his attributes under pressure with his area supervisor.
Heaven forbid she date anyone from the military, her reputation preceded her and she didn't have a lot of time to cruise social clubs or whatever it was that woman of her age – older but far, far from dead did. Hell it was the middle of the night and she was only just heading home after her last video conference.
Still this time she didn't mind at all as it appeared she had caught something of interest. She had nearly missed the movement, the flash of white in the shadows as she drove along but she knew that this particular section of housing was scheduled for a re model before new residents moved in. Her curiosity had often got her into trouble in the past but she had also learned to trust her instincts. So suspecting possible teenage antics she had slowed the vehicle right up and practically drifted to a stop by the kerb. It had taken a most surprised moment to realise that she recognised the pitiful pale trembling creature walking towards her in the front yard as the NCIS agent from her doorway that afternoon. If it hadn't been for that incident she probably wouldn't even have remembered him.
Her lifetime around military men had taught her many things but it had hardened her too in ways she had only recently begun to realise. She also knew that Agent McGee while he might be an excellent investigator was not a military man at heart. The blushing alone would have been hazed out of him long ago. Still she liked it.
She stole another sideways glance and was rewarded with a renewed blush. How delightful. She watched quietly as the gentle flush of colour washed over his entire body, not just his face as she stored that memory away for consideration later.
Tim sighed and tried not to think about how the Commander was looking at him. If he was in the same situation he was sure he would be curious about his passenger and how she had gotten herself into such a situation. He rubbed his frozen feet and hands together under the heater vent to bring back some circulation. Ok count your blessings, think positively. A moment ago you were in the cold, contemplating an evening huddled up in the front yard. At least now you are out of the wind, already warmer and I'm sure the Commander will call Gibbs and I will be tucked up in my bed within the hour. I might even get something to eat. His stomach growled in anticipation, and he tried to cover up the noise with a cough.
Commander West snuck another sideways look at her new companion who seemed to be relaxing slightly back into the seat. She smiled as she heard his stomach protest the lack of food it had received. Now that was a noise her military training had ensured she was familiar with. She should really offer him the use of the wool rug under the back seat but really where would the fun in that be? Although watching him twist around in his seat and try to grab it provided her mind with all sorts of considerations, mostly regarding the young mans firm rear end. Her hands gripped the steering wheel in anticipation of grabbing his round smooth butt and giving it a firm pinch
Still she suspected that once he had the rug wrapped around him it would be impossible to get off him, so she settled for continued silence as they continued to drive to her house on the far side of the Base. He didn't know it yet but she was going to hold onto him for a while and see just how delightful this young man could be. If nothing else she could use him to embarrass NCIS and possibly get the damned investigation hurried up and off her base. And maybe if she was lucky………..
Ohhh so what do you think? Is the Commander a villain? Is McGee in trouble? Was I drifting on about his thighs too much? Completely totally unlikely scenario? Were you expecting it or more McGee going to be beaten up kind of stuff? Please let me know anything you like in review.