“Ok you don’t like Leroy,” Jackson asked down the phone.

“Never said I didn’t like, but you got any idea what you are letting us in for?” his son replied.

“You’re my son; we used to go fishing…..you remember, father and son? Leroy you’re looking peeky, or you were the last time I saw you. You need to get out that basement, get some fresh air into your lungs, get some sun round your face……”

“Ok dad, ok when?” Gibbs asked, listening to his father tell of a fishing trip to Lake Chillisquaque , and what he wanted to do, “Dad, accommodation, you going to sleep in a tent?”

“Leroy, was going to borrow an RV that ok by you?” Jack now asked.

“I………..I take it am driving?” Gibbs asked down the phone smiling.

“You wouldn’t mind, would you son, I mean I’m not getting any younger.”

“Ok I’ll ask for some leave, when did you say?..........10 days ok, I’ll call you next week.” as Gibbs replaced the phone in the cradle.


WEE


The following week came quickly, a little murder of a Petty Officer, domestic quarrel leading to death, why didn’t he just divorce her, Gibbs had thought to himself. But then to lose your liberty was more difficult than having your bank account emptied. He had packed a rucksack and was heading for the door when a familiar car drew up outside, Gibbs sighed. He opened the door to the approaching figure.

“Tobias.” Gibbs acknowledged.

“Jethro………going somewhere?” was the reply.

“Yep, Dads, I’m having a vacation, but if you want to housesit you’re welcome, just leave the drink as you find it.” Gibbs replied, shutting the door and locking before waving the keys at Tobias

“Half empty then.” Fornell smiled.

“Half full would be better, but what do you want?” Jethro asked now looking down at his watch, “I’m going to have to go.”

“Gibbs……….can I join you?”

“Why Tobias, what have you done or who are you hiding from this time?” Gibbs questioned.

“If I said Diane, would you believe me?” Fornell asked.

“Oh yeah Tobias I would, but why?” Jethro asked smiling.

“The holidays, Diane wants me to take Emily, but I can do nothing right in Diane’s eyes.” Tobias replied.

“Yep, neither could I, but Tobias quick where is this leading?” Gibbs now asked getting ever so slightly annoyed.

“I wondered, if you could help?” Fornell questioned.

“ME, I’m not the best person to ask. Look Tobias I’m going to Dads, you want to tag along now for the week, please yourself, but I got to go,” as Gibbs began to walk to the Dodge.

“Gibbs, can I leave my car here?” Tobias asked sheepishly.

“Sure, but come on.” Gibbs waved smiling, and then watching Tobias take a bag from the trunk. Gibbs reversed his Dodge out the drive and watched as Tobias drove his car in, park up and then pick up his bag from the sidewalk and throw into the rear of Gibbs’ car.

“Ready?” Gibbs asked.

“Yes.” Fornell replied.

“Well belt up,” as Jethro slammed the car into gear and sped off down the street, “And you can start telling me the whole sorry tale.”

They arrived just before 5.00pm, into Stillwater, and Gibbs drove to his father’s store. He parked at the rear, and indicted to Tobias to join him.

“Dad won’t bite,” as Gibbs knocked on the back door and entered, “Dad………”

“Leroy…….just cashing up, come through. Why didn’t you use the front?” Jack shouted.

“Got a surprise for you,” Gibbs answered.

“You ain’t gone and married again without telling me?” Gibbs heard his father shout.

“Nope, but I did bring an acquaintance, you thought I was peeky, well you have to meet Tobias,” as Gibbs stepped aside and let Tobias in.

“Howdy, Mr Gibbs, Jethro said it was fine for me to tag along.”

“Leroy, you want to talk, man to man, I never knew, I always thought……..but hey, it is a modern world. Welcome son.” as Jackson handed Tobias his hand in friendship.

“Dad, I’m not………..you know…….Tobias and I go back a long way. Lets’ say we married the same woman once.”

“Yes, name of Diane.” Fornell replied, “But not at the same time.”

“Could have fooled me Tobias, Dad, I came back from a three month stint in the Med, as Agent Afloat, to find Tobias and Diane cozying up.”

“But she was your ex-wife.” Jackson replied.

“No dad…… my wife, I could have killed them both, but instead divorced the bitch, told you Tobias, about the bank account.” Gibbs laughed.

“Ok my judgement was bad, I was smitten, as your Dr Mallard would say.” Tobias replied looking sheepish.

“Never did tell me why you divorced her, now I know.” Jack answered.

“That, and the fact she said she was pregnant, or so she said……..but dad the math didn’t add up, so I subtracted her from me,” Gibbs replied looking at Fornell.

“Ok, but you two are still friends after all that?” Gibbs dad asked, shaking his head.

“Safety in numbers, Mr Gibbs.” Fornell replied.

“Call me Jackson or Jack, more informal, now where you going to crash tonight, only made the one spare bed up, won’t take a minute to make the other……….but you sure you want to tag along?”

“If you don’t mind?” Tobias now replied looking at father and son.

“Three men in a boat, gonna be hell, Dad.”

“Why you say that?” Jackson now questioned, beginning to smile.

“Hell Dad, Tobias doesn’t fish……….he’s a city slicker. The nearest he gets to water is having a shower or brushing his teeth.”

“Please Gibbs, give me some credit……” Fornell started to say.

“Credit……..no credit……..Diane cleared us both out remember.” Gibbs laughed.

“Oi, am I gonna have to shoot you two? I am so glad I only had Leroy…….two sons would HAVE been murder.” Gibbs’ father concluded laughing.

“So this lake we’re going too, what we expected to catch?” Fornell asked from the back of the RV.

“Oh you know, northern pike, largemouth bass, channel and bullhead catfish………. bluegill, yellow perch, walleye, crappie and tiger muskellunge,” Gibbs answered beginning to smile.

“Crappie? You got to be joking Gibbs. And largemouth……..that reminds me of Diane. Your walleye…..my Boss and yours, they always seem to know what you’re doing…..”

“Or shouldn’t.” Gibbs replied.

“Yep and tiger muskellunge, sounds like something the Thai takeaway serves.” Tobias added.

“Wish you hadn’t come along now son?” Jack enquired, “You could always do a bit of bird spotting?”

“Jack, you mean there will be women there?” Fornell asked brightening up.

“Nope Tobias, Dad means ducks, geese, loons, grebes, mergansers, tundra swans and shorebirds.”

“Great…….loons and mergansers……..sounds like some Scottish words used by your Dr Mallard……..I mean loons……that not boys?”

“Sure is Tobias…….wish you had stopped at my place? Mind you, first place Diane would look.” Gibbs laughed back, looking in the rear view mirror at Fornell.

“So when I fish, what am I using for bait?” Tobias now enquired.

“The most effective live baits for Lake Chillisquaque seem to be minnows, night crawlers and crawdads,” Gibbs began to say, “Artificial bait…………..jigs, buzz baits, rapalas or rebels, crankbaits and rubber worms.”

“God, and I thought FBI work was tough. We talking some foreign coded lingo here?”

“Nope all legit……….” Gibbs replied laughing.

“Could I not just shoot the damn fish?” Tobias offered.

“Now Tobias, what would the fun be in that? I mean it is concentration, peace and quiet, and the only dead bodies are the fish. Hey, we even get to eat the evidence.” Jethro answered.

“And I got some nice cold beer and some wine.” Jackson added.

“Wine?” Fornell shouted.

“For the sauce,………and to drink.” Gibbs’ father answered.

“Knew I should have stayed at home,” Fornell concluded as he lay down on the bench seat.


WEE


They arrived at the Lake mid-afternoon, and pitched up. Fornell was watching, it seemed he was the only one who didn’t know what to do.

“Too bright and sunny for any fishin’ this afternoon, in fact looks like it could be tonight before we can cast.” Jackson had said looking at the sky.

“You know this?” Fornell questioned.

“Yep, taught Leroy all I know, that’s what also made him a good tracker………..could hunt a ‘coon in the toughest conditions, knew every bent grass stem, every twisted leaf.”

“Oh yes and he’s still like that. You know can’t even walk down a street and he knows exactly what happened.” Fornell replied.

“Makes me good at my job then doesn’t it? But talking weather, I would say,” Jethro began looking to the heavens, “We are in for a cold front, the low pressure brings the fish closer to the surface and livens them up.”

“Yep, Tobias, as the pressure falls, air bubbles are released, this brings organisms and other particles to the surface, and so the fish rise to eat.” Jackson continued.

“And Tobias, here is the best bit, “Gibbs began to say smiling, “When it rains it affects the way fish bite, insects fly nearer the surface, the rain drops on the water, and also makes casting our lines more discreet.”

“You mean I got to fish in the rain? Great.” Fornell now added, watching Gibbs walk away.

“Tobias, you gonna moan like our ex-wife, or you gonna enjoy the fresh air and scenery?” Gibbs shouted from behind the RV, before appearing with three beers, “Hey think I’ll scout about, see if I can rustle us up some dinner. Dad, rattler do, ok?”

“Sure son, could cook it up with some beans.” Jack laughed.

“You have to be joking.” Fornell shouted.

“Ok forget the rattler…….what about moose? You like steak don’t you?” Gibbs asked, looking at Fornell.

“Sure, but you ain’t gonna kill and bring back………..thought deer was out of season this month,” Tobias replied.

“Dad, you bring the steak?” Gibbs now questioned.

“Sure thing Leroy, in the cooler in the van,” Jack smiled looking at Tobias, “You gonna make the fire up, to cook, that is Tobias, if you know how.”

“Can I not just grill?” Fornell asked.

“Nope Tobias, you’ll lose the flavour and the texture, not to mention the carbon when it falls in the embers,” Gibbs added, “But if you don’t mind I’m gonna get my head down until you cook. I think the fishin’ will be early morning.”

The next day saw a haze over the lake, the early morning mist giving a blanket over the surroundings. Fornell woke. He wondered where he was, his head hurt, and then he remembered. It was turning out not to be a good idea. He listened for noises…….none. Where were Gibbs, and Jack,…….how was he going to wash…..more important……….toilet. Then he heard the laughter. Rising from the rear bed, he opened the curtain, took his hand and brushed the condensation from the window, to see father and son cooking breakfast. Gibbs looked up and waved.

“Sleeping Beauty awakes dad.”

“’Bout time son………..was snoring like a hog in shit when I got up………must be the air.” Jackson replied, as they saw Fornell exit the trailer.

“Coffee, Tobias?” Jethro asked, shaking the pot.

“What time is it Gibbs?” Fornell growled.

“Oh I would say 04.30……….Dad and I are going to test the waters……….if you want to freshen up, there’s hot water in the kettle………or the washrooms are behind those trees.” as Gibbs pointed to the horizon.

It was at that moment there was a shot, a bang. Tobias went for his gun and hit the deck, Gibbs and his father jumped and then laughed, “Backfire Tobias, happens all the time.”

“What you think had happened, a murder.” Jackson asked, “Mind in the hunting season it has been known…….one way of ending disputes, and revenge, that sort of thing.”

“No, I just got edgy, not used to the country sounds.” Tobias replied now picking himself up and accepting the coffee Gibbs offered.

“You gonna get dressed ‘cos dad and I are gonna hire a boat and head off for the far side of the lake. If you are good I’ll not make you row.” Gibbs smiled.

“You are joking?” Tobias asked before he slunk off to the RV to get changed into something warmer. He returned about 15 minutes later wearing jeans a set of waders Jack had left out.

“I look stupid,” he snorted.

“If you say so Tobias, but can you swim? Because if you fall in, and the water fills the boots, you’ll may be lucky to get ashore alive.” Gibbs laughed.

“Leroy, he’ll do fine, and look Tobias, Leroy got us a boat,” pointing to the fishing cruiser, albeit only 15 feet but it had a cabin and a couple of benches for stretching out on. The outboard was slung outback.

“Ok, and by the smell of you two, I got to go with the flow?” Fornell now asked.

“Smell, what smell? All I can smell is water and fish.” Gibbs replied, as he turned and headed for the boat followed by his father, and then a very reluctant Fornell.


WEE


“So I put this on the hook and then cast it into the water?” Tobias asked, looking down at the bait.

“Sure thing,………all in the wrist action.” Jack began to say, as he flicked his wrist back, the line just missing Tobias’ face.

“Hey watch what you are doing, could have someone’s eye out, with a shot like that.” Tobias had growled.

“Tobias, I have been fishin’ since I was knee high to a grasshopper……………..and they grow pretty big where I grew up, and no I never took their eye out, usually I took them out………………caught some mighty big fish with a grasshopper……………….and if you say great son, you’re dead.” Jack replied.

“Great.” Fornell whispered casting the line.

The bait and the line hit the water. The circles from the cast emanated from the point of entry, Fornell watched as Gibbs and Jackson teased the line.

“See, you have to make the fish think they are going for live food. If something just lay there it would be dead.” Gibbs started to say.

“And dead ain’t good.” Jackson replied, as he watched Fornell cast his line.

Tobias watched as Gibbs and his father just quietly cast and recast, reeled in and cast again.

“Does it get any better than this?” Tobias whined.

“Ssshhhhh, you’ll frighten the fish.” Gibbs whispered, as he watched his line catch something and then as Fornell’s line also snagged a fish.

“I caught something,” Tobias began to shout, “Hey and by the weight of the pull something big.”

“Here son, I’ll help you reel in your catch,” Jackson began to say, placing his own gear down and begin to help Tobias, he watched Gibbs also began to reel in his catch, but what appeared was not what anyone was expecting……a body yes but not a fish but a human.

“Great,” was all Fornell could say, as he watched Gibbs grab the boat-hook and pull the corpse to the side of the boat, rolling it over.
"
So what we got?” Fornell asked, “Time of death?”

“Well after the base time period………….a body will rise off the bottom in 4 and a half days.” Jethro began to say.

“Great.” Fornell replied, as Jack began to think that was all he could say.

“But………..you got to add 24 hours for every 2 degrees F below 50 degrees of the water temp.” Gibbs continued.

“So looking at this body, it has been in the water 5 days?” Fornell finally surmised.

“Not so fast Tobias, then subtract 8 hours for every 5 degree over 55-deg water temp,” as Gibbs looked at Fornell’s face, “Then add 2 days if he was thin build, or underweight, or subtract 12 hours for every 25 lbs overweight.”

“So, how long?” Tobias growled how he hated this.

“Not finished Tobias, finally you got to reduce this time by 15% if they ate within the last 3 hours and 20% if there was beer involved…………” Gibbs laughed looking at the serious face of his friend.

“You know this?” Tobias questioned gruffly.

“Oh yeah, Duks told me.” Jethro answered shrugging his shoulders.

“Great.” Fornell replied, looking out over the lake, “But give me a rough idea.”

As Gibbs smiled and moved his head to one side, “5 days should do it.”

“Got a cause of death?” Tobias now asked.

“Well Tobias, since half his face isn’t there I would say shotgun……..that and the crabs.” Jethro added.

“Great.”

“That all you can say son?” Gibbs father now asked, “When I was in the Airforce, we used to call those lost at sea “Crab-fat”, never got the bodies but the crabs sure got fattened up.”

“That Jackson, is something I didn’t want to hear.” Tobias retorted, “In fact you just put me off seafood.”

“What you boys going to do with the body?” Jackson now asked, “Not gonna drag on board I hope.”

“Need to get the local LEOs dad, but not sure if I can get a signal……..you got a signal Tobias?” Gibbs asked now looking at Fornell.

“Just….what you want me to say?” Tobias now questioned.

“Hell, Tobias, you never taken a call from a member of the public about a body?” Gibbs shouted.

“Sure but I’ve never had to make one.” Fornell replied back.

“Hey boys, give me the cell, I’ll call 911,” as Jack now took the cell and dialled, “Hey, yeah, name of Jackson Gibbs fishing out of Lake Chillisquaque, me and my boys just hooked us a body……. I don’t know……male, 180LBS……half his face blown away……..my boys say been in the water maybe 5 days………..how they know this…one works for NCIS, the other’s a Feeb,…………..yeah I know but we’re on vacation…………OK, we’ll hang about then.”

“What they say Dad?” Jethro asked.

“Oh you know usual, don’t leave the crime scene, don’t touch the body, you know the usual stuff you guys say.” Jackson replied.

“Great,” was all Gibbs and Fornell could say in unison, smiling at each other.

The three waited for what seemed hours, the boys had decided to take a nap in the cabin, Jack a gentle line fishing, but he heard the chug chug chug of an outboard in the distance.

“Hey you two wasters gonna wake…….looks like the LEO’s arriving.” Jack shouted.
Gibbs rose from the cabin followed by Fornell. The sun was beginning to rise further in the sky, “Been busy dad?”

“Nah, no bites, bad blood,………..the stench of decay. Body still floating there, it ain’t going anywhere,” as they saw the boat approach.

“Morning,” they heard a voice shout, “Mr Gibbs?”

“Yeah,” Gibbs and his father replied in unison.

“Got a call…………….a dead body?”

“Bodies usually are,” Fornell retorted back.

“I don’t know Tobias, once had a female…………..just lay there………….but could be right she may have been dead.”

“You not ask?” Fornell questioned.

“Nah was Diane.” Gibbs laughed, now looking at the visitors.

“Hey you two,” Jack interrupted.

“So who found the body?” the chief LEO asked.

“We did,” Jethro and Tobias together like two siblings.

“Yeah they hooked up so to speak.” Jackson laughed.

“Dad…………….”

“So………..it’s the only thing you two have agreed about since we got here, no wonder Diane left you two.”

“Diane their mother?” the second LEO now enquired.

“Nope our wife…………” Gibbs now answered beginning to find some fun.

“So Mr Gibbs, your sons hooked the body?” the Chief asked pointing to the corpse in the water.

“Ain’t my sons, well one is ………….the other is his friend.” Jack answered.

“So friend as in………?” the second LEO asked standing like a teapot.

“You want arrested for bad acting?” Tobias growled at the youngster, “For you sure are goin’ the right way about it.”

“Hey,” Gibbs began to say, “I’m NCIS, that’s my dad Jackson, and that,” pointing at Tobias, “Is my ex-wife’s ex-husband Fornell, FBI. We are on vacation and don’t need this. And who’s the guy at the back of the boat?” Gibbs continued pointing at the elderly gentleman.

“Oh him……………..Hamish McBeath…………..local ME, and my wife’s father,” the Chief LEO replied, “Came over from Scotland…………….”

“Don’t tell me you were at Edinburgh Medical School with Dr Mallard,” Jethro now asked his eye twitching.

“But of course……………heard he works out of Washington DC, we don’t correspond much, send Christmas cards………..told me his mother Victoria died a couple of years back. How may I ask, do you ken him, so to speak.” Hamish now wondered.

“Duckman? My ME……….and I’ll tell him you were asking…………but since I’m on vacation, and my father is getting touchy and Fornell over there is only here because our ex-wife is annoying him, could we please hand over the body to you?”

“Got to ask………..Agents Gibbs, Fornell, you touch anything, look for ID or generally disturb my crime scene?” the Chief asked.

“Nope…………..but I reckon body been in the water 4-5 days was on its way up when we snagged………..looking at the face as it turned over…………..shotgun………..either suicide or huntin’ accident…………but I hate to teach you your job………………or as Ducky would say, “Teach your Grandmother to sook eggs.” Gibbs now added looking at Hamish who smiled before relying.

“Quite………..Agent Gibbs…………so boys,” now looking at his son-in-law and the junior LEO, “ Get the body into the body-bag and let me get our guest home, these good people have a vacation to finish, they will have enough to contend with when they go home. So gentlemen I bid you good day.”

The three watched as the LEO’s and the ME went about their work. The body now securely secured, the six said their farewells and the little boat chug chugged off.

“Right……….. now boys can I ask,…………..can we vacate here…………go back get some breakfast and maybe start our vacation again.” Jackson asked.

“Yes Dad,” Gibbs and Fornell replied.


WEE


They sat round the campfire eating ham, eggs and cowboy beans. The weekend hadn’t been that bad, eventful yes, interesting, but something was bothering Gibbs.

“Tobias,” as Gibbs shovelled the beans into his mouth, “Got to ask……………you’ve had no calls from Diane or the Feebs…………..what’s going on?”

“Could ask you the same question, Jethro.” Tobias answered.

“I asked first……….so?” Gibbs now questioned smiling at Fornell.

“Hey you think I’m totally stupid when it comes to our ex-wife…………….don’t answer that…..but I bought a prepaid cell……………..mine is in trunk of my car, and Gibbs you?”

“Trunk of the Dodge……………..yeah, nothing was going to spoil our vacation.”

“One thing boys………two shots ………..one win…….you both married…..divorced Diane…….but you came off good….. who did she eventually hook up with?” Jackson asked as he sipped a beer.

“A Victor Sterling……..Homeland Security, I sent them a waffle iron.” Gibbs replied.

“He turned out to be worth a few million dollars…………my trouble is Emily, she is my daughter.” Tobias replied, “I don’t want her to turn out like Diane, a money grabber.”

“Tobias…….get Emily to join us sometime………if she’s anything like her old man……..she’ll do good.” Jackson answered looking at the two and laughing.

THE END