Base Command
Tony was wondering what the hell was going on. He had been waiting for a chance to catch McGee on his own so he could apologize to him but it seemed the Commander wouldn't leave his side and now there was this undercurrent of …. Something. Tony personally couldn't believe that McGee had really slept with the Commander until he heard it coming from his own mouth. And even then he didn't think he would believe it. He knew that the 'something' was bothering Gibbs too.
Leroy Jethro Gibbs knew something was up. The fact that he didn't know what the 'something' was bothered him. It was his gut telling him but it was also his head too. McGee would always phone in with a reason for his absence in case they would worry about him, even if he had been spending the night with someone like the Commander. He just wasn't that sort of man.
But it was more than that.
It had been something in McGee's eyes, as if he wanted to tell him something but couldn't. Gibbs had been too angry at the time to question him further but when he looked back at the strange scene in the Commanders living room it seemed false, staged somehow.
And it hadn't been just his eyes that seemed to be saying something different to his mouth. McGee when Gibbs really thought about it looked exhausted, there were tired strain lines around his eyes and his voice had that cracking edge it got when he was really tired. They had worked enough late night cases together and Gibbs had learnt to judge how hard to push his team by being observant and knowing when enough was enough. McGee when Gibbs really considered it looked like enough had been enough several hours earlier.
He moved differently too. There was something defensive about his stance, the way he held his arms up and over his chest as if to protect it? Did he expect Gibbs to hit him? Well maybe a head slap but why cover his chest like that?
And appearing in a bathrobe, surely there could have been something more appropriate for him to wear? McGee was hiding something and it wasn't that he had apparently slept with the Commander. The Base, as Gibbs predicted was surging in a rising flooding tide of scandalized scuttlebutt concerning the sudden appearance of the now famous McGee at the Commanders house and their subsequent arrival at work together.
Gibbs tried to work the logic through until the end. McGee was a terrible liar but McGee also knew that he was. So by even attempting it, to Gibbs himself no less then it was obviously something that was important to McGee. Something that he saw as his duty. McGee wouldn't attempt to lie to Gibbs if it was just his reputation or personal embarrassment on the line as McGee would know Gibbs would eventually find out anyway and if he had lied about it then that would make it worse. So McGee was a moral man, something important enough …. Something that was his duty to…. The case! McGee knew something about the case and for whatever reason could not reveal it to Gibbs when they had meet up at the house. Why? The MP's? Maybe someone had a hold over something or someone of the Commanders? Maybe she was in on it? That could be why she didn't want to let McGee go with them. Why she hadn't phoned Gibbs the way she should of. That could be why she was still with him now. She could be using something as a hold over him!
Damn! Gibbs swore and berated himself for letting his temper get in the way of what seemed so obvious now. What had he been thinking? That McGee had spent the entire night having sex with the Commander? Timothy McGee? He could have been in real trouble and Gibbs had simply walked away from him.
Gibbs got up and with a fiery eyed glance at Ziva and Tony stalked towards the Commanders office.
'Where are we going Boss?' Tony enquired after a quick glance at Ziva as they strode along behind him.
'To find out exactly what is going on around here!'
Gibbs rounded the corner and the three of them practically stormed the Commanders office. Gibbs ripped open the door, stepped in and practically collided with McGee who seemed to be on his way out of the door. At this abrupt halt Tony and Ziva did collide into the back of Gibbs and all four of them stood staring at each other in the middle of the Commanders office.
McGee was the first to find his voice 'Boss I was just about to come and get you.. .'
Gibbs cut him off 'Tell me what the hell is going on NOW!'
McGee smiled amazed 'How did you know something was up?'
'Never mind that. Just tell me that you're ok and then explain to me what the hell really went on last night. And just what she has to do with it.' Gibbs glared at the Commander who was coolly standing beside her desk.
Tony and Ziva took a step back from Gibbs to give him some room and Tony turned and shut the door.
'Um well where do I start'. Tim was ecstatic that he could finally get to tell his team, his friends what had been going over the last ten hours. His head was awhirl about where to start, about what to say and what not to say.
'How about you start with this.' The Commander walked over to Tim and started working off his tie and then started unbuttoning his shirt. Tony's jaw dropped and Ziva angrily took a step forward. Gibbs held both of them back and waited to see what the Commander showed them. Willow pulled open Tim's shirt and then stepped away so they could see the dozens of thin angry painful red welts all over his chest and the tight white bandage around his lower ribs.
'While you were all tucked up safe and sound in your beds last night, Agent McGee here was jumped, beaten, knocked unconscious, tied to a pillar and tortured. I was able to assist him in escaping and then we both apprehended the man responsible. That did result in a further injury to Agent McGee's ribs. We have interrogated this man, who happens to be my Personal Assistant Jeffrey Wallace. I believe you may have already had the pleasure of meeting him yesterday?'
The Commander continued on smoothly wanting to save Timothy the embarrassment of detailing what had happened between them earlier in the evening and get to the crux of the situation as quickly as possible.
'Jeffrey it appears has been using his access to me over the last several months to get information and access to this group that have been smuggling drugs off base. Agent McGee has been able to use the information we have gained to set up tracking programs to alert us of their activities. We believe there is a final large drop including large sums of money being transferred later this afternoon. Once this is complete the group will go their separate ways and any opportunity to discover who they are and apprehend them will be lost.'
'Anything to add to this Agent McGee?'
'Ummmm no not really. I think that is all of the most important information relevant to the case, Commander' Willow smiled at the return to the use of her title. Timothy really did know how to play this game well when he needed to.
The two of them turned to face Gibbs, Tony and Ziva who seemed to be in various states of consideration at this startling information.
'So what was the point of this, so called thing between the two of you.' Gibbs was blunt and wanted to make sure he understood everything that was going on
'Agent Gibbs, what is the entire base currently talking about?'
'About you two' Tony interrupted his wide eyes still on the rapidly disappearing marks on McGee's chest as he did up his shirt.
The Commander continued with an irritated glance at Tony 'Yes so what are they NOT talking about?'
'About the pharmaceuticals case' This was from Ziva, her eyes hard as she assessed the Commander.
'Exactly, yesterday it was all anyone could talk about and now nobody cares. Certainly not enough to wonder at where Jeffrey is or what NCIS is going to do next.'
Gibbs nodded firmly. It wasn't what he would have done but it was roughly effective.
'So how much time do we have and what details have you got. I want to know all of it this time.' Gibbs dragged a chair out and sat on it indicating for the others to do the same.
Tony took a chair and sat down quickly. What was he supposed to say? His head whirled and it had little to do with the case. The information washed around him while he stared down ashamed at his fingers. Probie had been tortured! The Commanders words surged through his head. 'While you were all tucked up safe and sound in your beds last night, Agent McGee here was jumped, beaten, knocked unconscious, tied to a pillar and tortured'
Tony couldn't even look at McGee. He had gone to bed and had laughingly fallen asleep while his friend had been hurt! How do you apologize for something like that? How could he have been so stupid? He hadn't meant for it to get this out of hand but if he hadn't been intent on yet another bit of mischief with McGee as the victim this never would have happened.
Gibbs kicked the side of Tony's chair whilst still talking to the Commander. Anyone else might have taken at a mistaken movement, a slip of the foot. But Tony knew better and received the message to concentrate on the case loud and clear. He would have to consider how to apologize later.
At the sudden knock on the door, everyone turned quickly prepared after this latest bit of information to be burst in on by ….. well potentially anybody.
The Commander raised her hand for silence and then called 'Who is it?'
Lieutenant Douglas stuck his head around the door 'I was just bringing up the breakfast you requested Commander…. His voice trailed off as he saw the entire Washington NCIS team in her office.
'Thank you Douglas. As I said I will be conducting a private meeting and I don't want to be disturbed. Just put the food on the coffee table please'
Douglas stepped through the door followed closely behind by another man each bearing a large tray piled high with plates of food and several large carafes of juice. He placed them all on the coffee table in front of the couch running down the side of the Commanders office and then left.
It was at this stage that McGee checked out of the conversation busily going on around him. The Commander could explain what they knew and ………
Food!
Food Food Food food food food food food food food food foodfoodfoodfoodfood
Toast, eggs cooked in every conceivable manner, muffins, strawberries, cereal, yogurt, mushrooms, bacon, hash browns, sausages, wedges of fresh orange, glazed Danishes, jam, croissants, slices of watermelon, omelets, cooked ham steaks, grilled tomato's………
So much of everything he could possibly think of!
Tim could smell it and his mouth watered. His stomach growled loudly and without even meaning too he walked towards the couch and sat down in front of the coffee table staring at all the glorious food.
The Commander broke off her conversation with Gibbs, Tony and Ziva and smiled. 'You will have to excuse Agent McGee, it has been a very busy evening and I don't believe he has had anything to eat in quite some time.'
She called over softly to him 'Timothy I will take care of this for now. You go ahead and have something to eat'.
Gibbs ears pricked up at the soft tone she used and the use of his first name but decided they had obviously gone through a lot together and perhaps that could excuse it.
Tim barely nodded and just stared wondering where to start. He knew that if he did what he wanted to and just stuff his face he would make himself sick so he would need to proceed with caution.
He decided to start with the hot food and he carefully with trembling hands laid out a napkin across his lap and pulled over a plate of toast, eggs, crispy fried bacon, grilled tomato's, hash browns and sausages.
His hand shook as he lifted his first fork full of food to his mouth. Slowly, carefully now he reminded himself.
Bliss! His mouth was filled with warm savory salty sweetness. Bacon! Oh how he loved bacon. It was so … so….. bacony.
So much for being described by the New York Times as a wordsmith!
He chewed carefully and then piled up his fork carefully for the next bite. He carefully proceeded through the entire plate and moved onto another one oblivious to the drama developing across from him.
Ziva quietly seethed. She watched as McGee savored his food with trembling hands. All this time he had been hurt! Her eyes were full of the sight of McGee's damaged chest and pained eyes and she knew what he had not said.
That he had been afraid.
That he had been hurt and none of them had been there to help him.
That he was tired and in pain.
And that none of them had been there to help him.
That he wouldn't have been hurt if Tony hadn't picked on him. Like they always picked on him.
The sight of her friend being so grateful just for some food seemed to anger her almost beyond reason. She sat and heard the Commanders words ran through her head 'While you were all tucked up safe and sound in your beds last night, Agent McGee here was jumped, beaten, knocked unconscious, tied to a pillar and tortured'
How could this have happened? How could SHE have let this happen! Ziva turned and watched the Commander who was working her way through what action had already been taken and how she thought they could continue. How dare she! She sits there unharmed, McGee undoubtedly having protected her in some way, claiming the glory that the information McGee had uncovered brought her. She had used him and even now while he was recovering she was telling him what to do! The entire base and possibly by now the entire Navy now thought that they had slept together! Gentle McGee's reputation and possibly his career to go with it was being ruined by this malicious, vicious old woman!
Ziva could feel the anger rising up in her chest choking her. She got to her feet without realizing it.
The Commander stopped talking, watching to see what Ziva was going to do. She could see the look in her eye and stood to meet it. She could feel the anger being directed at her and felt her own passion rising again. At last!
The Commander took in a deep breath and felt her adrenaline surge again. She should really talk her way into calming this Ziva woman down.
But she didn't want to
She should ask Gibbs to control his agents better
But she didn't want to.
Gibbs and Tony watched as the two women stepped away from their chairs and faced each other.
'Uhhh Gibbs?' Tony was waiting for Gibbs to step in and bring the growing confrontation to a rapid halt.
Gibbs though was eying up and assessing the two women. Ziva's skills he knew about. She was mad but she had learnt control, to a point. Perhaps it would be good for her to blow off some steam. He could see she was frustrated that the Commander hadn't found a way to tell them earlier, to find a way to have gotten the information without McGee getting hurt.
The Commander had military training and from what he remembered about her reputation of old she had been considered quite fierce. But still she was considerably older and may underestimate Zivas abilities.
It was then that Gibbs saw it. The anticipatory flash in the Commanders eyes and he smiled. She wanted to fight! She wanted someone she could thrash out her own frustrations on.
Well then who was he to get in the way? He stepped aside to give the ladies some room and pulled Tony with him.
'Ahhh Boss? Shouldn't we be doing something here?'
'We are doing something DiNozzo. We are staying out of the way'
At that comment, Ziva released from her federal duty lunged at the Commander. The two women grappled at each other, each wrestling for a better hold in order to flip the other to the floor. The Commander reached out and tripped Ziva and Gibbs smiled. She was willing to play dirty. Maybe the match wouldn't be as one sided as he thought. He was going to enjoy this. It wasn't often he got to watch two women fighting. He wondered how long it would take one of them to go for the hair. Women always went for the hair.
The Commander cried out as Ziva's nails raked down her cheek. She kicked off her heels and kicked out, catching Ziva in the stomach. Ziva snarled and twisted out of the Commander grip, rolled to the side grabbing the Commanders arm and twisting. The Commander cried out again. She reached out her free arm and hooked it around Ziva's ankles and dragged Ziva back down to the floor. Ziva momentarily lost her hold of the Commanders arm as she fell. It was all the Commander needed. She grabbed hold of a fistful of Ziva's thick hair and pulled, snapping her head back. She threw herself over Ziva and tried to get her hands around her throat.
'Are you done yet?' She gasped as trickle of blood ran down her cheek and she continued to yank on Ziva hair.
'No!' Ziva grabbed her own fistful of the Commanders thick hair and pulled hard, eliciting a small shriek. The two combatants clawed at each other, Ziva ripping loose some buttons on the Commanders shirt, while the Commander managed a matching scratch down Ziva's face.
Gibbs smirked, Yup the Commander was going old school.
Tony was hopping from one foot to the other trying to get out of the way of the rolling shrieking pair. What should he do? Ziva often threatened him with stationary so maybe he should get rid of any paper clips? What about a stapler? That could do some damage in the right hands surely. He kicked the Commanders snakeskin stilettos out of the way in case in their rage one of them decided to those as a weapon.
There was a banging on the door, someone was asking if everything was all right. Tony stuck his head around the door and assured them it was fine. They were watching a DVD of two potential suspects involved in a local bar fight which required the sound to be up loud and it would be finished soon. He shut the door firmly, hoping he wouldn't get in trouble for that massive lie.
Tony jumped again, trying to move out of the way of the flailing arms and legs of the two women on the floor. Wow who would have thought Ziva would be fighting with Commander West over McGee? He wished McGee could see this. He looked up to see why Probie wasn't over here trying to dutifully break up this fight that seemed to be on his behalf and saw McGee, his fourth empty plate of food pushed aside fast asleep on the couch. His head was lolled back and he looked to be sleeping as peacefully as a baby. He was completely silent in a way that showed he wasn't just asleep but he was completely out of it.
'McGee!' Tony called to him as he stepped further out of harms way as the women kicked and wriggled and swore. No answer. Tony wondered if he should get out his phone and record some of this for McGee later when he was more awake. Would Gibbs kill him? Would McGee kill him for not doing it?
'McGee!' Tony tried again. It was no good. McGee was in that exhausted state that meant that Tony could superglue any part of his anatomy to anything without him even knowing. Tony turned away deciding to follow Gibbs example and simply watch. At least that way he could relay what happened in detail later. He joined Gibbs leaning against the far wall, and tried to look as nonchalant.
So who do you think is going to win?
Gibbs laughed 'Ziva of course'
'So why are you……..'
'The Commander was quite happy to have a fight and because it is with another woman she won't feel the need to hold back any punches.'
'Ahhhh' Tony said still not understanding any of this.
Ziva had dragged the Commander across the carpet, when the Commander kicked loose one foot and kicked Ziva hard this time in the ribs. The Commander bucked again, twisted and on her knees launched herself at Ziva. The two women faced each other, drawing deep breaths, eyes alight. The Commander drew back her hand and slapped Ziva hard across the face, snapping her head to the side. Ziva recovered and turned to look at the Commander, who calmly waited for Ziva's response.
Ziva smiled as she recognized a fellow kindred spirit and drew her hand back and slapped the Commander hard across the cheek. Her head snapped to the side and as she recovered she laughed.
'Are we done yet?' she asked Ziva who was still kneeling across from her.
'Yes I think so' Ziva stood to her feet and helped the Commander up. They stood together brushing themselves down, tucking in their shirts, tidying up their hair and smiling at each other.
Tony stared. Women, who could figure them out?
Gibbs just smiled and turned to the two of them. 'Well now that we have that out of the way can we continue to get this case closed so we can go home?'
Timothy McGee slept on.
(Come on people you have to let me know what you think of that!! My longest chapter, my first fight, bringing the team back together. Review!!!)