Disclaimer: Not mine.
A/N: This chapter just introduces a few characters. Just a little light hearted fun, but it will lead us up to the next part.
The team really didn't have anything to go on, but everyone kept going through the files and what little evidence they did have. Around one-thirty the whole bullpen stared at Daniel's phone as his ring tone blared out,
"Somethin' 'bout a creek, around 2 a.m.
After a few of those beers, you wanna dive on in
You don't need no clothes, so just hang em on a limb"
At this point Daniel grabbed his phone and yelled into it, "What did you do to my phone!" Tim meanwhile nearly fell over laughing, Daniel caught him by the back of the neck and squeezed as hard as he could until Tim calmed down.
"What? You didn't like it Darling?" The voice eagerly asked.
"No. I told you not to touch my phone again. Remember? We compromised. You don't mess with my phone, and you get your own."
"But Darling, I didn't touch it." The sweet butter wont melt voice replied.
There was silence for a moment while Tim tried to run, but Daniel grabbed him before his butt left the chair. "Oh you're dead, LB. So dead."
"Oh but so worth it, Darling." Tim replied, a smile lighting his whole face, snorting as he tried and failed not to laugh. Reynolds and Towen had their heads down, faces beet red from keeping in their own laughter. They too knew who was on the phone. Everyone else was just confused.
Daniel took his glasses off and scrubbed at his face before returning to his other pain in the neck. "What do you want?"
"Well, Daniel, you see, the thing is,"
"Just spit it out Vala!"
"Can I come out there and be with you?"
"No. Now goodbye."
"Wait Daniel! Look, I got a really bad feeling. I don't want you to be by yourself."
"What? Vala, I'm not by myself."
"None of us are there with you."
"Look, this is about the... treaty.. you're helping Mitchell with, isn't it?"
"No..."
"You're suppose to leave in a half hour. Go get ready!"
"I am ready. But Cam can handle it just fine. He doesn't need me."
"Remember what happened last time he tried to do one on his own?"
"..."
"My point exactly. Vala you sat over my shoulder the whole time I was writing the thing, you know it better than I probably do. Mitchell need you more than I do, right now. Please."
"... If you need help you'll let me.. us know right? Promise?"
"Yes Dear, I promise." Daniel sighed.
"Ok. I'll talk to you in a couple days. Say bye to Timmy for me!"
"Bye."
"Bye Darling!"
Hanging up the phone Daniel let his head smack against the desk, as laugher that could no longer be held back, rang out from Tim, Reynolds, and Towen. "I'm sorry Sir. I just." Reynolds wiped his eyes as he got himself under control. Tim and Towen took a little longer. "What did Miss Vala want Sir?"
"To come help." Daniel replied, putting his glasses on and going back to the files.
"I bet." Both Towen and Tim whispered, which only served to get them laughing again. A smack with Daniel's left hand, to the back of Towen's head got him quiet, and the grabbing of the back of Tim's neck, again, got him quiet.
"Oh and Vala sends her love. Timmy." Daniel grinned as he squeezed Tim's neck.
"Ow owowowww! Ok ok already!" He said as he rubbed his sore neck. "But it was still worth it."
Things quieted down for about an hour, so Gibbs had went out for coffee. That was until Jack arrived. He strolled right up to the team's bullpen, barley slowing down as he headed for the stairs. "Daniel, come."
Daniel sighed and replied, "I'm not your Labrador."
"Now!" Jack was half way up the steps by now, still not slowing down.
"Crap." Daniel said as he took off at a fast walk to catch up.
"Wonder what that was about?" Ziva asked.
"Don't know, think we ought to call Boss?" Tony wondered.
"And tell Boss what?" Tim said, not looking up from typing.
"Tell Boss what?" All five people jumped as Gibbs walked in. He stopped behind his desk when no one answered him. "Well?"
"Umm, well the General is here. Took Daniel up to the Directors office. We didn't get an invite." Tony said watching anger cover his Boss' face as he looked up to the stairs. Next thing everyone knew they were just the five of them again. "Oh boy."
Everyone silently agreed with Tony.
Gibbs walked right into Vance's office but no one was there. Turning around he went over to MTAC, and scanned in. Only it didn't work. Gibbs tried twice more before pounding on the door once, then leaned against the wall.
Inside Vance turned of the alarm stating someone was trying to access the locked down room. "That will be Gibbs, you know."
"Yeah, kinda figured." Jack said as he flopped down into one of the chairs.
"Okay, so I didn't outright lie to him; but I'm pretty sure he knows I didn't tell him the whole truth either." Daniel said looking at Jack.
"He actually let you get away with that?" Vance asked shocked.
"While Daniel's not the greatest liar, he can be pretty convincing." Jack smiled crookedly. "But you have a point, we can't tell him."
"Why not?" Vance asked. Jack and Daniel just looked at each other. Vance knew their job's were more complicated than they let on, and Jack was General of more than just 'Home' Land Security, more like the 'Planet'. But even he didn't know exactly what they did.
"That's not my decision to make." Jack sighed as they heard the single pound on the door. Daniel raised his eyebrows, grimaced, then sat down next to Jack. "He's not going to go away, is he?" No one answered as Jack tapped his fingers against his legs. "Oh, go let him in. Seems I got a phone call to make."
Vance headed up the ramp and opened the door. "About time." Gibbs said as he strolled past him and down the ramp.
"You're welcome." Vance muttered, re-locking the door behind them. When Gibbs got to the bottom, he saw Jack and Daniel sitting next to each other in the exact same positions. Legs stretched out in front of them, with their ankles crossed, their hands folded over their stomaches, and their heads leaning back against the back of the chairs. Both also had their eyes closed.
Gibbs stared at them in disbelief and turned to Vance for an explanation. Seeing his look of confusion too, Gibbs shouted, "Well!"
Neither man even twitched. After a few seconds Jack cracked one eye open and looked at Vance, "Leon, you know how to use that computer to make that screen work right?"
"Yes, of course." He said walking over to the desk.
"Good, because in about... thirty seconds we'll have a guest." Jack replied as he looked at his watch. Both Jack and Daniel stood up and took a few steps closer to the screen. They turned to each other, and said, "How do I look?" Smiling they just nodded and turned back to the screen, hands in their pockets. The screen came alive and the man on it made Gibbs blink in surprise. "Hey Henry. Sorry about the short notice."
President Henry Hayes shook his head and chuckled. "Jack, when have you ever been sorry about anything?" Daniel snorted and Jack glared at him. Before Jack could reply, Henry continued, "Hello Daniel, good to see you."
"Likewise Sir."
"Daniel."
"Henry." Daniel said with a cheeky grin.
"Jack why did you have to go and corrupt this nice young man for?" Henry wanted to know.
Holding his hands up in surrender, Jack confessed, "Henry, I corrupted Daniel looong before you met him."
Daniel just nodded as Henry laughed. "Oh goodness Jack. Anyway, Hello Leon."
"Hello Mister President."
"And this must be Special Agent Gibbs."
"Mister President." Gibbs said as he came to stand next to Daniel, nodding his head in greeting.
"I've heard good things about you, and your team. I want to thank you for all your hard work and dedication."
"Thank you Sir. We try our best."
With a smile and nod Henry turned back to Jack, "Now I'm assuming you want to let a certain someone in on one single fact of life?"
Looking up from the floor Jack rolled his eyes, "Yes Sir. Though truthfully I don't know how it's going to help."
"I agree. Unless they screw up, even we can't track them down; and so far they haven't." Daniel agreed.
"It's more to satisfy his curiosity Sir. Then maybe he'll leave it alone." Jack glared at Gibbs while stating the last part.
"What? You don't think we need to have all the information pertinent to this case?" Gibbs glared back.
"That's not what I said."
"Sure sounded like it."
The two stood glaring daggers at each other with Daniel in the middle, leaning his head back, as to not be in the way. "They related in any way?" Henry asked Daniel, who bent over laughing.
"Oh shut up Danny." Jack mumbled as he grabbed the back of Daniel's shirt and pulled him up.
"Yes Henry, I'm sure they're not." Gibbs just rolled his eyes as they all looked back at the screen.
"Well Mister President? What is your decision?" Vance asked, trying to steer the conversation back in the right direction.
Henry was silent for a moment before he turned and looked at Gibbs. "What we tell you doesn't leave this room. It doesn't leave your mouth, ever. You are the only one to know this. Not even your team will know, unless Doctor Jackson or General O'Neill deem it necessary. If you don't agree, you wont be told anything. Is that understood?"
Taking a deep breath, Gibbs took a split second to decide, "Yes Sir, I understand Sir. I promise to never tell anyone. Ever."
"Good. Jack, Daniel, I think you two can handle it from here. Leon, as you can guess the same apply's to you."
"Of course Mister President." Vance nodded.
"Oh and Daniel?" He waited until he had Daniel's full attention, "Get some sleep tonight, you look exhausted. That's an order." The last they saw was Henry's wide smile before the screen went black.
Daniel just closed his eyes, shook his head, then ran his hands over his head. Jack started laughing, while Gibbs just raised and eyebrow. "Oh shut up Jack."
"He's right you know. I mean, I know when you've stayed up all night, but you must be getting old, if other people can see it." Jack replied, still laughing softly.
"So who's going to explain what's going on?" Vance once again broke in, to get them back on topic. 'It's like dealing with my kids, when they were around two!' He thought to himself, 'I can't even imagine what their commanding officers had to go through on a daily basis.'
"Right." All business, Jack clapped and rubbed his hands together. "Ever heard of, The Trust?"
A/N: So, what did you all think? Like or no? Oh and the song on Danny's phone was 'Somethin' 'Bout a Truck' by Kip Moore.