A/N Ok, all of the sudden, this came to me. Plz Review. Disclaimer: Ya know. (PS Braddock mall isn't real, but in Episode Deception.)
The strong smell of sawdust and bourbon filled the air as McGee and Ziva descended down the stairs into Gibbs' basement.
"Must we stay down here Gibbs?" Ziva asked, feeling a little smothered.
"You can never be too careful." was the gruff response, "You three get settled. I am going to look around and lock up."
Ziva looked around and saw that Gibbs had set up three cots in front of his work bench. McGee went to the middle cot to settle Chelsea in. Ziva internally cringed. He was putting a barrier between them. But Ziva knew that she'd have to talk to him sooner or later.
"Set her at the end." she said, her voice visibly startling McGee, "We have to talk."
McGee wordlessly followed her instructions. Ziva could almost hear the blood pumping through his veins. She almost felt bad for being so intimidating.
"Alright." Gibbs said as he returned, "I'll be upstairs if you need me or some food. 'Night McGee. 'Night Ziver."
"Goodnight Gibbs." they both said together.
They silently settled into their own cots. They faced each other and didn't speak for a few minutes.
"I'm sorry I kissed you!" McGee blurted out, the silence piercingly loud.
"Are you?" Ziva asked, staring.
"Uh- I'm sorry I kissed you without permission?" he responded, asking more than telling.
More silence. McGee was afraid he was going to go crazy waiting.
"We have a lot to think about." Ziva said, avoiding his question.
"What do you mean?" McGee asked.
"When the case is solved," Ziva said, sounding vulnerable, "are we going to give Chelsea back to Social Security?"
"Social Services." McGee corrected with a smile, "And I am not giving her back."
"Neither am I." Ziva said after a moment.
It got quiet again. This time it was because of the weight their words held.
"So what do we do?" Ziva finally asked.
"Hell if I know." McGee answered.
They both yawned in unison.
"Goodnight Ziva." McGee said, closing his eyes.
"Goodnight Tim." Ziva answered.
McGee's eyes shot open at Ziva's use of his first name. But Ziva had already started to snore.
"I'd kiss you all over again." he whispered into the darkness.
Upstairs, Gibbs was having quite the internal war.
His hard-core, no-nonsense side was ready to march downstairs and cut through the tension between two of his best agents. To tell them to knock it off and tattoo Rule 12 into their foreheads.
His softer, more relaxed side was applauding McGee's attachment to Chelsea. He knew the love a father had for a daughter. He also wanted to encourage whatever romance happened between McGee and Ziva.
"Aww hell." Gibbs muttered, sitting up straighter in his chair.
He was in for a long night. He was going to need extra coffee.
The next morning, Tony and McGee headed out to find Spinner, also known as Henry Trueborn. McGee was in a better mood. He was rested, things were ok with Ziva, and Chelsea's fever broke. Tony, on the other hand, was acting really nice to McGee. Too nice.
"Ok, Tony," McGee finally said, "What's up?"
"What do you mean Tim?" Tony said, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel nervously.
"You're acting really nervous." McGee said, "What did you do!?"
"What makes you think I did anything?" Tony asked, focusing too much on the road, seeing as traffic was at a complete stop.
"Because you have called me by my first name all morning and have not made a single annoying remark." McGee pointed out.
"Pshhh." Tony stammered, "What- What are you talking about you- you- dodo!?"
"Dodo?" McGee said in amusement, "Really Tony? That's all you've got? Dodo?"
Tony just grumbled in response, cursing at the morning D.C. traffic. It was taking to long and McGee was very suspicious.
"Dammit!" Tony cried, laying into his car horn, "Move."
"Tony." McGee said calmly, trying not to laugh, "We are in a pile-up four miles long. We are not going to move anytime soon."
Tony sighed nervously.
"So spill, Di-Guilty." McGee said, playing off of Tony's name calling ways.
Tony glared at him, but realized that sooner or later he'd have to tell McGee that he had told Abby everything. He just would much rather be in an open, public place where McGee would be forced into not killing him. Believe it or not, his little Probie could scare him when he got pissed enough. He attempted one last blasting of the horn before turning to talk to McGee.
"I may have spilled what happened to someone else." Tony said, his words tumbling out of his mouth in a hurry.
"You told Abby!" McGee nearly screeched.
"That was fast." Tony said.
"Do you realize that she will bombard me with questions?" McGee said.
But, much to Tony's relief, the traffic was picking up.
"We'll be at Henry Trueborn's in a few minutes." Tony said gleefully.
McGee grabbed one of Tony's favorite magazines that lay between them and threw it out the window.
"Hey!" Tony cried out.
They spent the rest of the ride in an angry silence.
"Henry Trueborn!" Tony yelled, rapping loudly on the oak door, "NCIS, we would like to speak with you."
"That would depend on what NCIS is." came the deep voice behind the door.
"Naval Criminal Investigative Services." McGee yelled tiredly, because it really did get old.
Henry opened the door slightly. McGee struggled to refrain from visibly gulping. Henry Trueborn was a built, tough-looking, 6 foot 5 inch African-American.
"What do navy cops want with me?" Henry said opening the door after staring Tony and McGee down.
"Do you remember giving a tattoo to this woman?" Tony asked him, showing a photo of Lt. Josie Brenner.
"Yeah, and I also took it off, so what?" Henry said in a bored tone.
"We need to know if she told you who paid for it." McGee said.
"She didn't pay for it?" Henry asked.
"Think real hard." Tony piped up, backing away when Henry glared at him, "Her tattoo said 'The Gifter'."
Henry stroked his chin for a beat than snapped his fingers. McGee and Tony jumped at the action.
"She said it was a gift from a man who saved her from jail." Henry said, "She was real giggly about the guy, but said he was a secret. I think she was drunk."
Tony and McGee exchanged glances.
"Thanks for your help Mr. Trueborn."
Tony and McGee headed back to their car.
"So this Gifter guy bailed her out once." McGee said to Tony, their argument forgotten at the moment.
"That means there should be a record of it." Tony concluded with a smile, dialing on his cell, "Boss. McGee and I have something."
Meanwhile, Ziva was going back through each of the victims. Children were still unaccounted for. It was tedious work, slowed down by the fact that she called the Director every half hour to see if Chelsea was ok.
Ziva was looking for some sort of pattern. She was looking to see what they had in common. A few shared banks and grocery stores, but not all.
Then she spotted something.
"Gibbs!" she cried out, only to realize that he had gone down to Abby's lab, "Shit!"
Down in the lab, Gibbs was talking with Abby, who had found an unknown hair on Lt. Brenner.
"There is nothing in any of the data bases Gibbs." Abby informed him sadly.
"Why not?" Gibbs asked, surprised that Abby would call him down for bad news.
"Its synthetic Gibbs."
"Fake hair." Gibbs deduced, "But you know where it came from."
"From the elements in the hair," Abby said, clicking away, "it is from the Hair to Dare brand. Sold only in the store Hair Brained."
"Where's that?" Gibbs demanded.
"Oh so brisk." Abby said smartly, but continued at his glare, "It's at Braddock Mall."
Gibbs gave her a quick peck on the cheek and hurried out of the lab, only to collide with Ziva.
"Ziva what-"
"I have found a connection!" Ziva interrupted, panting.
"A connection for what?" Gibbs asked
"A connection between the victims, though not Lt Brenner."
"Gibbs!" Tony yelped exiting the elevators, McGee on his heels.
"I am speaking Tony!" Ziva snapped.
"This is more important!" Tony snapped back.
"You do not even know what I am talking about!" Ziva snapped, punching Tony's arm.
"OW! Was that really necessary!" Tony yelled, "You're lucky I cant hit a girl."
McGee was watching this exchange in amusement, but Gibbs wasn't. He let out a shrill whistle that caused his agents to cringe and cover their ears.
"To the bullpen." was all Gibbs said, "NOW."
Gibbs was already frustrated. He didn't need five year olds on his hands. He gave Abby a finger wave and entered the elevator. Once it began moving, he hit the power switch.
"This is too important to be screwing around." Gibbs said menacingly.
The three younger agents nodded their heads. They all muttered apologies.
"Hey!" Gibbs yelled, "Don't apologize!"
Again, they nodded, this time not saying a word. Gibbs turned the elevator back on.
"Let's get this guy."