A/N. One more mini-chapter I've managed to get written. Hope you enjoy. That's all for tonight, folks. Alas, work begins in nine hours, so I should probably consider going to sleep.
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'You remind me of a young man I met in Dublin back in nineteen forty-nine,' Mary O'Connell was informing DiNozzo, as Gibbs took the opportunity to take a look around the old woman's room. The noise carried easily all the way up the stairs, and Gibbs knew he couldn't afford to make a sound. The senior agent grinned to himself. He had to admit, the younger man was quite the charmer when he wanted to be. In fact, Gibbs had to admit, once you took the trouble to see through his mask, there was something inherently likeable about the junior agent. Gibbs had never apologised for his behaviour towards the younger man during their first case together, and DiNozzo had never so much as hinted at the matter. Instead, they had somehow come to a silent agreement that Tony would allow his frat boy mask to slip a little around his team leader, and in return, Gibbs would be tolerant of a certain amount of 'goofing off,' and judge the younger man on merit. Truth be told, most of the time Gibbs was more amused than annoyed by the younger man's antics – not that he was prepared to admit it, of course. The senior agent had spent many years building up his 'hard ass' image, and he was damned if he was going to ruin it by developing a soft spot for DiNozzo. What intrigued Gibbs most of all, though, was the reason the younger man had felt the need to develop the mask in the first place. The kid was damned good at his job, but he never seemed to stay anywhere more than a couple of years. His newest agent was a mystery – one Gibbs intended to get to the bottom of.
Speaking of mysteries, however, the one in more immediate need of solving was the motive of Mary O'Connell when requesting Gibbs for protection duty. The fact that she had agreed to testify at all had caused alarm bells to ring in the senior agent's mind. The fact that she had specifically asked for Gibbs, the main witness for the prosecution, had only served to confirm his suspicions. The question was not whether, but how the elderly woman planned to ensure he never made it to the witness box.
Gibbs quickly sifted through the woman's overnight bag, but found nothing of interest. A search of her handbag, however, was more rewarding. Beneath the numerous accessories and gadgets, he located a .44 calibre revolver. Not the usual weapon of choice for an elderly woman looking to protect herself against muggers. The recoil alone was more likely to kill a fragile shooter than the bullet was to hit her intended target. A curious choice. Finding nothing else of interest, he made his way stealthily down the stairs, in time to see DiNozzo accept what was probably his fourth or fifth cup of tea. Gibbs moved to stand behind Mrs O'Connell. Clearly his absence had not been noticed at all. He nodded at DiNozzo in acknowledgment of a job well done, then moved towards the window, staring outwards , as though he had been there for some time.
A few minutes later, Mary O'Connell began to look around, as if finally realising that Gibbs hadn't spoken for some time. Catching sight of him at the edge of the room, she visibly relaxed.
'Special Agent Gibbs, you've not touched your tea,' she reprimanded. 'I must make a fresh pot.' The senior agent grimaced. Still, if DiNozzo could stomach several cups of the stuff, he was sure he could manage a few mouthfuls.
'This will do fine,' he insisted, draining the cup. 'DiNozzo, give me a hand with this tray,' he gestured towards the kitchen. As the junior agent entered, he shut the door behind them.
'So, what did you find?' the younger man wanted to know.