Tony watches as Ziva escorts Sidle through the bullpen and is surprised to find that the need to assert his cover just isn’t there.
Obviously McGee notices as well, “They must be special.”
“What are you on about Probie?”
“Pretty girl walks through the bullpen and you don’t even look? You must be in love.”
Tony almost rolls his eyes at that, “Maybe I just don’t find murders attractive no matter what they look like.”
McGee seems to ponder that harder than is strictly necessary but as he stays quiet Tony ignores him. Instead Tony follows the pair until he reaches the observation room. He leans against the wall beside the window and is a little surprised when Gibbs joins him. A quick glance over his shoulder reminds Tony to be discreet, “You’re letting Ziva take this one?”
“Sidle was singing before we had her in the car. Ziva can handle it.” Gibbs takes note of the AV tech as well, “Find anything for me?”
“The lead detective didn’t actually remember the case but he found and faxed me his notes.” He flips through the notes, “She was severely beaten but it looked like they didn’t intend for her to live. Her wrist was a defensive wound, not an attempt to stop her painting. The maid interrupted the attack. They dropped the personal angle from the official files at the insistence of the victim. Which leads me to believe she knew who wanted her dead.”
“If she knew perhaps her sister does as well.”
“I can’t speak to that one Boss.”
“Anything linking Bering to the attack?”
“He fit Rebecca’s description of the ring leader but the timeline doesn’t work out. As you know there’s no such thing as a mid-week break from Paris Island.”
“And yet they targeted him specifically over a period of months. There is more going on here and I doubt she’s going to tell us.”
Tony manages to mostly reign in his amused smile, “Give Ziva a shot. She scares the hell out of me sometimes, mostly when she thinks she’s flirting with me but still.”
Gibbs graces Tony with a smile but no other response.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“If it was not a murder why is Private Bering dead?”
Sidle seems near tears as she responds, “I don’t know. I left the room as planned, put my things into the truck and got the camera. When I got back to the room Pete was dead and Michelle said he didn’t know what had happened. He was so panicked. And Michelle’s such a gentle man, he could never hurt anyone.”
“You left Bering alone in the room?”
“In bed asleep, yes.”
“And you were gone how long?”
“Ten, perhaps fifteen minutes.”
“And Livingston was with him when you returned?”
“Just like we planned, except Pete was dead.”
“You targeted Bering specifically for this extortion scheme?”
“I met Pete a while ago. He was a nice enough guy but he was clearly a player. He picked me up from Becca’s once and Michelle said he’d be the perfect mark for the blackmail plan. I didn‘t want to do that to Pete, I mean it wasn‘t like he was ever going to be my boyfriend but he didn‘t deserve to have his life ruined. No one does, I don‘t think Michelle understands that. No one should go through what Becca went through.”
“Then why set Bering up?”
“Michelle can be… persuasive.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Boss, we may have a location on Livingston,” McGee calls out almost the instant Tony and Gibbs emerge from interrogation.
“May have?” The warning is clear.
“May have,” McGee confirms grimly, “Rebecca Sidle is on the line with someone using a disposable cell phone here in D.C.. There’s no way to know for sure that it’s Livingston but who ever it is we have their exact location.”
“What are you waiting for McGee? Let’s go.” Gibbs weighs his options for a moment before nodding for Tony to join them.
Ten minutes later Tony’s phone rings and he flips it open without checking the caller ID expecting Abby, she always seems to know when calling Gibbs would be tantamount to homicide. “Talk to me.”
“Tony?” Ziva asks confused.
“Sorry Ziva, thought you were Abbs. What’s up?”
“Has something happened?”
Realizing that none of them called Ziva he quickly fills her in. “We’ve got it on this end. Make sure Abby gets Sidle’s car to start processing. We’ll call if we find him.”
“Sidle said one other thing to me as I was taking her back to the holding cell. Livingston is apparently a planner. He had follow up plans for all sorts of contingencies.”
“Back up. Back up plans. Thanks for the heads up Ziva.” He shifts in his seat to face Gibbs, “Livingston’s a planner. He might have a plan for us cornering him.” He glances at McGee before continuing, “Maybe you should let me take point on this one Boss. Your shoulder-”
“Isn’t my gun hand DiNozzo,” Gibbs growls shooting him a warning look.
“You get shot again you better call Abby yourself.”
Gibbs doesn’t think before responding, “That’s an empty threat Tony. She’d kill you for not calling her.”
“She loves me. She’d threaten to kill me, not actually do it.”
“Tony, as much as she loves you I’m her father, there is no way she is going to kill me.”
“It’s your call Boss.”
McGee wants to laugh but can’t imagine he’d like either man’s reaction if he did.
They pull up to a sleepy little diner and Tony grabs Gibbs’ arm, “Hold on Boss. We’ve got the advantage here, we’ve got his picture and he no clue we‘re even after him.”
“So?” The warning is unmistakable.
“So if we walk in there flashing badges and asking questions and he’s here he’ll panic. Why don’t we go in, sit down, order some coffee, give ourselves a moment. Then if he’s actually in there we can take him down without it becoming a huge scene.”
Gibbs’ expression doesn’t change, “You buying the coffee?”
“I suppose it is my turn.”
Gibbs takes the booth closest to the front door and offers the plump blonde waitress one of his rare smiles when she approaches, “And what can I get you boys?”
“Coffee, black.”
“Hot chocolate.”
“Black coffee,” McGee requests politely.
“Anything to eat boys, or do you need a minute?”
Tony pre-empts any response from Gibbs, “We need a minute.”
McGee watches in fascination as Gibbs and Tony lock eyes and begin to sign. Finally Gibbs makes eye contact with McGee and tilts his head in the direction of the counter.
Sure enough, Livingston is sitting at the counter, looking back and forth between the door and a cell phone.
Another moment passes and McGee’s phone gives a single ring, he’s received a text message. “We’re going to sit on him for now. Unless he makes for the door ignore him and drink your coffee. No food.”
After a short while Tony stands up and pops his back, “Be back in a jiffy Boss and then I’ll take the next shift driving.”
“Take your time, we’ve got a long way to go yet.”
Tony nods and sort of strolls away. When he’s directly behind Livingston he pulls his cuffs and has him restrained before it even registers he’s there. “Michelle Livingston? You are under arrest for the murder of a US Marine as well as larceny and a few misdemeanors that we’ll have someone read to you at head quarters. You have the right to remain silent, you have the right to an attorney, if you can’t afford one we’ll pass that along to legal and see what they come up with. Now move your ass.”
“Not exactly regulation there DiNozzo.”
“It’s not my fault he’s a prolific scumbag Boss.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tony’s mental countdown reaches zero almost exactly as Gibbs slaps two photos down on the table side by side, one of Bering in the morgue the other of Rebecca Sidle in the hospital. “Does she know you did this for her?”
“I have no idea what you are referring to.”
“You shot Pete Bering in his sleep in retribution for the attack on Rebecca. There’s really only one problem with it Michelle. Pete Bering had never met your fiancé before the day she told you he’d attacked her.”
“That’s not true. He beat Rebecca within an inch of her life.”
“Rebecca was mistaken. There is no way Pete Bering was in Detroit that day. He was in a room with twenty other young men learning to break down and rebuild their weapons at Paris Island.”
“No, he was in a motel room in Detroit trying to take my Rebecca away.”
“Why would he want to do that, you’d clearly never met before.”
“I angered some very dangerous people. The type of people who send strangers to kill you.”
“Then why kill the messenger?”
“Access. It’s as simple as that, I had access to him.”
“He was innocent.”
“So was Becca.”
“You shot him.”
“I did.”
Gibbs can’t seem to find a response to that, instead he gets up and walks out. Tony joins him in the hallway, “You okay Boss?”
“No DiNozzo I am not okay. He shot a young man, an innocent young man, in the back. While the kid was sleeping. For no reason at all, and he doesn’t even care.”
“And that’s why we’re going to lock him up and throw away the key.”
“And if I’d prefer to shut the cameras off and beat him to death?”
“I’ll cuff you to a chair. Abbs and I won’t let you get yourself thrown in jail.”
“Fair enough, but I don’t want to see him again. Get him back to holding, I’ll be down with Abby for a while.”
The wrap up is pretty straightforward and by the time quitting time approaches everyone’s final case reports are on the way to the director.
“Special Agent Gibbs? My office,” The Director instructs from the bottom of the stairs.
Wary at her use of his title over his name Gibbs shoots Tony a look before doing as instructed. He comes to attention automatically when he enters the office, “Ma’am?”
“It has been brought to my attention that your team has never completed a sexual harassment seminar.”
“We maintain a heavy caseload Ma’am.”
“Not tomorrow you won’t. At 1000 your team, Abby, Ducky and Jimmy Palmer will be in training room B. Anyone who does not attend the whole seminar will be on unpaid leave for two weeks before being given the chance to complete the course. Anyone who fails to complete it the second time will be summarily dismissed. Are we clear?”
“Crystal.”
“Please inform Ms. Scuito. I will speak to Ducky and Mr. Palmer personally.”
“I’ll pass it along.”
“This isn’t a punishment Jethro.”
When she doesn’t elaborate he turns to leave, “Goodnight Director.”
He descends into the bullpen, “Head home. We have a training session at 1000 tomorrow, everyone get some rest.”
Tony takes one look at the others and decides not to ask, at least not now anyway. He has the distinct impression there’s a reason the answer’s been withheld.
When neither McGee nor Ziva is brave enough to question the silence Gibbs continues down to the lab. Abby is preparing to leave for the night when Gibbs arrives. “Do we have another case?” She almost pouts.
“No baby girl, no case until midday tomorrow at the least. We’ve all been ordered to attend a sexual harassment seminar tomorrow, I was instructed to inform you personally.”
Abby chuckles, “What did you do to her today? Did you kiss Charming in front of her?”
“I hadn’t even seen her all day baby girl, and Charming and I are generally careful.”
“Generally?” Abby pounces on this phrase intently.
“I slipped in front of Palmer the other day, no mention of my Prince, but I did make it clear I’ve been playing the pronoun game with Jenny.”
“I didn’t even know you knew what the phrase means.”
He just shoots her one of his half smiles and kisses her cheek, “Goodnight sweetheart.”
“Night Pop.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tony heads upstairs without so much as a thought to the rest of the house. Five minutes later when he pads back down the stairs barefoot he almost jumps out of his skin at a knock on the door. He debates not answering it at all but decides instead to check and see who it is before opening it. Recognizing that it’s one of the neighborhood children though he doesn’t remember a name he opens the door, “Hello again. Jethro’s not home at the moment.”
“That’s alright Mr. DiNozzo,” The mother assures him evenly, “Go ahead Ricky.”
“Hello Mr. DiNozzo, my name is Ricky Folsom. My class is having a holiday fundraiser to support our music program. Would you like to support us by buying something?”
Tony smiles at the clearly rehearsed speech and leans against the doorframe, “I’ll take a look.”
Ten minutes later, and thirty-three dollars poorer, Tony waves goodbye to Gibbs’ neighbors. Before he can close the door behind them he finds himself face to face with number 2 on his own personal worst case scenario hit parade, Fornell.
He’s grateful that he’s at least not the only one looking uncertain on how to deal with the situation, “Apartment troubles again DiNote-Zoe?”
Before Tony can decide whether or not to lie Gibbs pulls up, distracting both of them.
As Gibbs climbs the porch steps Fornell grins, “Taking in strays again Jethro?”
“Some reason you dropped by Tobias?”
“Just thought you might like to know that we finally reached an agreement with Metro regarding Falstaff. He’s going to testify against Copley and then do five to seven and a half for the assault.”
“For shooting into the front window of a public building, how fitting,” Tony mutters darkly.
“You prefer we let the baby killer go free DiNote-zoe?”
“No I’d prefer it if it weren’t an either or situation.”
Feeling oddly protective of Tony’s right to be angry over this Gibbs steps in, “Is that all you wanted Tobias?”
“I thought I might catch you with your new…diversion. I’m terribly curious.”
Gibbs shoots Fornell a quelling look, silently implying Tony doesn’t know his new love is a man, “I already told you Tobias there’s no way you’re stealing this one so you can just get over it.”
“I‘m curious to see what lured you away from redheads.”
Tony puts an exaggeratedly curious look on his face, “This one’s a blond, Boss? You never mentioned that.”
“Brunette DiNozzo and you know better than to fish.”
“I’ll just go my mind my own business then Boss.”
Gibbs shoots him a slightly concerned look but Tony’s already headed into the kitchen.
When Tony is presumably out of earshot Fornell speaks again, “I need that file back Jethro. There was a reason I couldn’t officially hand it over.”
“I’ll get it. What’s up with this one Tobias? The father play golf with a senator or something?”
“Something like that.” He accepts the file and then nods toward the door, “I need to get this back to the office but I’m still curious Jethro.”
“So?”
Fornell chuckles, “Fair enough. ‘Night Jethro.”
“Goodnight Tobias.”
Gibbs stops in the doorway to the kitchen, unsure if he’ll be welcome in Tony’s personal space just now.
“You can stop trying to come up with something apologetic to say. I’m not mad or hurt. Hell I’m glad you let him think I was clueless.”
“Then why do you sound like your puppy died?” Given at least some indication of acceptance, if not outright welcome, he crosses the kitchen to lean beside the stove next to Tony.
“He’s a trained investigator Jethro. Sure he’s FBI and by definition a little thick, but still. At some point in the near future he’s going to start putting together details.”
“Like what?”
“When he arrived I was buying something from one of the neighborhood kids’ school fundraiser. Depending on how long he was there he might know they recognized me as being someone who belonged here. When I excused myself I headed for the kitchen not the guest room. That I paused too long when he asked if I was having apartment trouble. That you gave me one of those sun-from-behind-a-cloud smiles when you arrived.”
“He may figure it out,” Gibbs concedes easily.
“And if he goes to Sheppard?”
“I’ll remind him just how important the bridge he’s burned is and we’ll deal with the fallout. I told you before Tony, caution, not paranoia.”
Tony nods, accepting if not outright agreeing. “Do you think he would?”
“I don’t know Tony. He is my friend and he didn’t really see anything definitive. But he’s a by the book sort of man. I think he’d come to us before her, and I think I could make him understand that there’s nothing wrong with what we’re doing, that we both know what our priorities in the field should be.”
Tony relaxes a little at that. “And if he gets us fired we could finish the boat and start that world tour you were talking about.
Gibbs laughs, “Exactly.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Almost in apology for all of them being stuck in a sexual harassment seminar Gibbs brings coffee for everyone with him after his nine thirty caffeine run and prods them all downstairs. When the team arrives Abby is sitting in the back of the small classroom motioning Gibbs to sit beside her. He kisses her cheek and hears the instructor, Ms. Taylor make a small noise of distress, “Is there a problem Ma’am?”
“That is inappropriate workplace behavior.”
“She’s my daughter Ma’am.”
“Still.”
Gibbs just shakes his head and takes the seat Abby’s indicated, happy to indulge her. Tony practically lays in the chair in front of him, his head on Gibbs’ “desk.”
Ziva and McGee sit to either side and Tony zones out through the video presentation.
“In the workplace sexual harassment can take many forms. A co-worker tells a sexual joke or looks you up and down.”
Tony turns his head slightly and does a deliberate once over with his eyes before muttering, seemingly to McGee, “If you’re lucky.”
“A hand ‘accidentally’ brushes your body.”
Gibbs lets his fingers run over the back of Tony’s head and Ziva smirks, “If you’re really lucky.”
“There are three categories of physical contact. Green light is normal behavior, a handshake, a brief tap on the shoulder. Yellow light is borderline behavior, such as hugging.”
Abby almost shoots to her feet, “What’s wrong with hugging? I hug people all the time!”
“While it may seem innocent to you, your coworkers might find it offensive.”
“You guys get offended when I hug you?” Abby asks searching the expressions of her NCIS family.
“Of course not Abbs,” Tony asserts immediately.
The others add their ‘no’s willingly. Gibbs is the last to speak, “You can hug me anytime sweetheart.”
“I’m hugging you all in my mind right now.”
Ms. Taylor give a frustrated sigh, “Be that as it may, Miss, D.O.D. policy is very clear on this point. You must have permission before touching a co-worker.”
“You’ve always got my permission Abby,” Tony assures her.
“And mine,” McGee is quick to add.
“Me too,” Jimmy Palmer grins at her.
“I will always welcome one of your hugs my dear,” Ducky assures her.
“You have my permission as well,” Ziva is more hesitant than the others but obviously sincere.
Ms. Taylor just shakes her head and goes on, “Red light is deliberate, unwelcome behavior.”
Gibbs slips his fingers into the back of Tony’s shirt collar touching the mark he’s left and the top of his lover’s spine. Then he leans in to whisper, “Better sit up Tony, remember what happens if you ‘fail’ this.” He’d informed Tony of the director’s dire threats over breakfast but hadn’t told the others.
Tony sits up at if burned. McGee shoots him a curious look.
“Did you have a question sir?”
Tony takes a moment to consider it, “Is it inappropriate when a higher ranking member of the agency requests you escort them to a work related social function?” Ducky snickers, knowing exactly what it is Tony is referring to.
“That would depend on the nature of the request. If it is a request for you to attend as a second representative of the agency it is acceptable. If it is a request for you to act as her date that is not acceptable.”
“And if you’re not sure which it is?”
“Err on the side of caution. Inform the offending party that you are unclear about their request, ask for specifics.”
After that the team settles down to quietly endure the rest of the session. When it’s over, after they’ve all left, Ms. Taylor makes her way to the Director’s office.
“How did it go?” The Director asks almost before Ms. Taylor can enter the room.
“They are… an odd bunch.”
“I was aware.”
“I get the feeling they’re all guilty of what you or I might see as harassment, but none of them see it as such. They appear to regard their group as more of a family than a team. The team leader informed me the girl with the pigtails is his daughter.”
“She is. Was there any other specific behavior you took as noteworthy?”
“Just that young lady’s determination to hug people.”
“I trust they all attended the entire session and passed the closing quiz?”
“Yes Ma’am.”
“Thank you Ms. Taylor. I appreciate you closing this session to other teams. It likely would have proven even more disruptive if Gibbs had needed to quell a series of inane questions.”
“I was just doing my job Ma’am.”
Chapter End Notes:
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