I hated him on sight. I had heard about him from the other medical examiners who had to take a turn through NCIS autopsy when Dr. Mallard ("Call me Ducky") was indisposed, but I really didn't believe all the stories. Not really. No one man was that big of a bastard, was he? Yes, actually, he was. He and I butted heads every single time I had to do a shift at NCIS (which wasn't often) and I dreaded it when my turn came up in the rotation at the ME's office.

~*~*~

I stepped off the elevator into the bullpen and looked around. I hadn't been here in quite a while but the layout hadn't changed. The only person in the bullpen was someone I didn't recognize. Wonderful.

"Excuse me, I'm Beth Ransome, the substitute ME. Can you help me?"

"Oh, yes, you're late. I'm Ziva David."

"Late? I'm right on time. 8 am on Monday morning is what I was told." I double-checked my watch and it said 7:57 am.

"Well, you see, if you get here after Gibbs, you are late."

"Gibbs will just have to get over it then."

"I'll just have to get over what?", said a voice from behind me.

I turned around to see the man himself and he still looked nothing like I expected, even as many times as I'd seen him. He looked older, for one thing, but he wore it well. Silver hair on a woman just makes her look old, but silver hair on him was still very attractive. He was not as tall as I remembered, either, for someone who could make the seasoned ME's I normally worked with tremble when they discussed how he liked to invade their personal space. The sparkly blue eyes were still gorgeous, too.

"Good morning. I'm your substitute ME for the next couple of weeks. I haven't been here in forever."

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Dr. Ransome."

He always introduced himself to me like that, as if we hadn't met several times before now. And he knew I preferred to be called 'Beth', too.

"You introduce yourself to me by your full name every time we meet."

He smirked at me like I'd lost my mind and said, "Call me Gibbs, if all those names confuse you."

I smiled at him, thinking "Screw you, buddy", but all I said was, "I always do."

~*~*~*~

Dr. Mallard's new assistant, Jimmy Palmer, came up from Autopsy to get me after a brief and terse phone call from Gibbs. Palmer looked like a scared rabbit as he crept out of the elevator, eyeballing Gibbs like he expected to be attacked. We introduced ourselves and off we went to Autopsy. I changed into my own scrubs and set about re-familiarizing myself with their arrangements and set-ups. Palmer and I made small talk as I moved around, asking questions when I needed.

The first few days were relatively quiet because we didn't get any cases. I stayed in Autopsy, making sure I knew the place inside, outside and three ways from the middle. I didn't even get to see the rest of Gibbs' team until I had been there almost a week. Gibbs, however, stopped in unexpectedly every day, for absolutely no reason at all. I think he came solely to glare at us. I finally said something on Wednesday to him, about why he kept popping in for no good reason.

"Gibbs, this is the third day you've come down here for no good reason. What is going on?"

He glared with stony blue eyes and tried to stare a hole through me. "Why aren't you working on cold cases? Every time I've come down here you're cleaning or organizing or some damn thing. Why are you not working on cold cases?"

"I didn't know I was supposed -"

"Well, ask next time, dammit, instead of cleaning things that are already clean. Christ. We're overloaded with cold cases and you're playing Susie Homemaker down here."

I stood up from Dr. Mallard's desk and drew myself up to all of my five foot nothing and did some glaring of my own. Palmer made himself scarce at the other end of the room because he knew he didn't want any of this.

"Excuse you? If you want me to work on cold cases, then you should have said so on any of the numerous times you wandered down here. I'll be happy to help, but I'm not a mind reader. The handful of times I've been here before, we were hopping." I knew my mouth was writing checks I didn't particularly want to cash, but I was irritated beyond belief. Those blue eyes flared up and I thought, "Oh, shit, I went too far" and then I decided I was OK with that.

He took a couple of steps closer and I refused to back up. "Who do you think you're talking to, Doctor?"

"To someone who obviously doesn't get backtalked enough. I know you're the alpha dog or whatever around here, but that crap does not work on me. Tell me what you want me to do to help and I'll do it, but don't come down here and try to intimidate me. That got old the first two times I was here. I've gone rounds with bigger bad asses than you and I'm still standing." I really didn't mean for any of that to come out like it did, but goddamn. I had 2 older brothers, an alcoholic father, and was in an almost all-male very competitive medical school - Gibbs wasn't even a drop in the bucket. He didn't reply; he just turned on his heel and stomped out. I heard Palmer's breath whoosh out all the way across the room.

~*~*~

We caught a case in downtown D.C. on Thursday and I finally got to say hello to Tony and McGee. When Palmer and I arrived on the scene Gibbs was barking orders to the metro police and I avoided him as best I could. My concern was our dead Marine and I knew as soon as Gibbs realized I was there he'd be standing over me, demanding time and cause of death. Sure enough, I had barely slid in the body thermometer when he came trotting over.

"Time of death?"

"Gibbs, you just saw me put in the thermometer. Give me a second."

"You have a dead Marine here; you don't have a second", he snarled at me and stepped up closer.

"You know, the longer you nag me the longer this will take." I smiled sweetly at him, daring him to say something else.

His eyes opened wide and Tony spared me from whatever wrath he was about to dump on me by calling, "Hey, Boss! Got something you need to see!"

Palmer and I looked at each other in relief as Gibbs left us. Palmer cleared his throat and stuttered out, "Um, Dr. Ransome, um, Beth, Dr. Beth, why do you - ?"

"Jimmy, he pushes all my buttons. I don't know why. I think it's because he just expects me to roll over like y'all do and take whatever verbal abuse he dishes out. He may be a kick-ass boss but he's also a bully and bullies piss me off no end. Thank the gods I'm only here for another week. I'm pretty sure I'd shoot him in the foot if I had to stay longer." I grinned at Palmer's expression but I was serious as I went back to determining time and cause of death.

When we made it back to Autopsy, Gibbs was already waiting for us. Palmer and I moved our Marine over to an open table and we wrestled him out of the body bag. While Palmer took X-rays, I gowned and gloved, all while being aware of Gibbs pacing the floor.

"Cause of death?"

"I'm pretty sure that gigantic puncture wound in his neck is cause of death, Gibbs, but don't quote me." I rolled my eyes while I set-up my Mayo tray, glad I had my back to Gibbs.

"Don't fuck with me on this, Dr. Ransome. I've hit my limit on your sarcasm today."

I spun around, temper fully engaged. "And I've hit my limit on your bullying, Agent Gibbs. You expect everyone to say 'How high?' when you bark 'Jump!' at them. Well, screw that! You'll get your damn results after I've taken care of Staff Sergeant Williams and not before! Get the hell out of my autopsy suite and let us work!" I turned back to my Mayo stand with my pulse racing and my ears roaring - I actually heard the blood rushing in my ears. Gibbs snarled under his breath and stormed out, slapping the "up" button on the elevator loud enough for it to echo in the hall.

~*~*~

Rather than wait for Gibbs to come down for his results I went up after I finished the staff sergeant's post. As I stepped into the bullpen Tony was hanging up his desk phone. He looked at me, looked at Gibbs, looked back at me and said, "That was Ducky. His mother passed away last night and he'll be taking her body back home for burial. He expects to be back in a couple more weeks."

"Oh, dear God. Another 3 weeks stuck here! Kill me now!," is what my brain screamed. What my mouth said, though, was "Will we be sending flowers? If so, I'll give whomever some money. Poor Dr. Mallard. He's such a dear. I'll go tell Palmer." I handed Gibbs my autopsy report and fled back to the elevator.

"Jesus Christ, I'm stuck! Stuck! For another 3 friggin' weeks!", I mumbled to myself as I cleaned up down in Autopsy. "Stuck! Argh!"

"You OK, Dr. Beth?"

"No, I am most definitely not OK, Jimmy, but I'm doing better than Ducky so I need to shut the hell up."

The rest of Thursday and Friday were strained and cold, and we were all feeling the stress. Gibbs didn't come back to Autopsy either day but he sent Tony or Ziva down a dozen times. They wrapped up Staff Sergeant Williams' murder late Saturday afternoon and I breathed a sigh of relief. We all had the rest of Saturday and all of Sunday off, amen. My plan was to kick back with Chinese food and classic movies and not move unless I absolutely had to.

~*~*~

When my doorbell rang late Saturday night I had my jammies on, my hair was up in braids, and I was well into my chicken fried rice (and extra potstickers) with From Here to Eternity playing in the background. I swore quietly and colorfully when I saw Gibbs standing at my door. I debated not opening it, but he looked right at the peephole and said, "Open up. I know you're there." I unlocked the door and went back to the couch. He slammed the door behind him and stomped into my living room, looking like anger personified.

"Fried rice?", I asked, holding up the container.

"No."

"Potsticker?"

"NO."

"Well, then what the hell do you want, Gibbs? Why are you here?"

He sat down on the other end of the couch and sighed.

"What the hell are you sighing for? I'm the one who is stuck at NCIS for 3 more frigging weeks!"

"Stuck? You see yourself as stuck at NCIS? What else would you rather be doing?"

"Gibbs, I'd rather be back at the ME's office, in familiar surroundings, with people I like, doing my damn job! Yes, stuck!"

He shifted on the couch so he was facing me and said, "How bad do you want to leave your rotation at NCIS?"

"I would sleep with you if it means I can go back to the medical examiner's office where I belong."

"You'd have sex with me if it meant you could scrap the three weeks you have left at NCIS?"

"Gibbs, I would blow you right here and now if it means I can get transferred the hell out of NCIS."

"Prove it."

"Prove it" echoed through my apartment and "Oh, my god, Gibbs just called me on it! What the fuck am I going to do now?" bounced around in my head.

I turned five shades of pink but I refused to back down. I cocked one eyebrow and said as snarky as I could, "Excuse me?"

Gibbs leaned in closer and said in a low voice, "You heard me, Beth. Prove it. Use that sarcastic mouth for something other than pissing me off." He sat back and smirked at me - smirked!

I got off the couch to take my dinner dishes and the leftovers to the kitchen. I didn't want to look like I was fleeing my own living room, but dammit, I was. He was too close and too smug and too Gibbs. I took a deep breath, put the leftovers in the fridge, and walked as calmly as I could back to the couch.

"OK, so let's pretend for one minute that I actually meant what I just said. How in the hell would that work? I don't like you, you don't like me, this would be some kind of bizarre hate sex thing. Plus, I know you're Gibbs and all, but even you can't pull strings at the medical examiner's office."

He threw back his head and laughed hard enough to make the whole couch shake. "I can do anything I set my mind to, Beth. Look in my face and believe me."

I didn't want to look at him, I really didn't, because I knew I'd see contempt or arrogance. I took another deep breath and raised my eyes to his, and found not contempt but lust. Honest-to-god lust. His eyes were very deeply blue and there was no trace of smirk or arrogance. He leaned in towards me again and I scooted back until I was in the very corner of the couch, trapped like a rat. I was very aware of my pajamas and my unkempt braids and the fact I had on absolutely no makeup. "At least I showered today," I thought. And then - "Oh, crap, he's coming closer!"

He was indeed coming closer - he had left his side of the couch and was almost to me.

"Gibbs, we can't do this. Hate sex, remember? We don't like each other, remember?"

He caught the ends of my braids and pulled my face close to his and whispered, "When did I ever say I don't like you?"

I had two seconds to think, "He has me by my hair!" and then his mouth was on mine. He pulled my braids harder, which pressed my mouth down harder into his kiss. I felt his tongue on my lips and knew if I didn't stop right this second the bizarre hate sex thing would happen. I tried to pull away but he just tightened his grip on my hair. I put both hands on his shoulders and pushed for all I was worth.

He moved back a fraction of an inch, just far enough to growl out, "Open your mouth, dammit. Kiss me. Kiss me right now, Beth, like you mean it."

He let go of my hair, only to put his hands over mine and squeeze. He didn't hurt me but I gasped anyway. He squeezed them again harder and kissed me again, taking advantage of my open-mouthed gasp. His tongue was warm and slick in my mouth and the thought "What if I bit down?" flashed across my mind. Then I couldn't think any more. I was kissing him back just as rough, struggling to get my hands free from his so I could pull his hair or slap his face or something, anything, to break this incredible kiss before I did something I'd regret. He didn't let me go but he did stop to ask, "Am I hurting you?", looking down at our hands.

"Jesus God, Gibbs! No, you're not hurting me. You're fucking up my world is what you're doing!"

"Kissing you is fucking up your world? Then you're really going to be thrown by the rest of the evening."

I sucked in a giant breath and said, "Rest of the evening? Why the hell are you here, Gibbs?!" The second he made the mistake of letting go of my hands, I was going to slap him. Repeatedly.

He sat back, pulling me with him, probably knowing that if he let me loose, I'd try my best to hurt him. "I came here, hell, I'm not 100% sure why I came here. You've gotten under my skin every time you've rotated through NCIS and you've especially pissed me off this past week."

I gave one last hearty pull to get my hands free and then said fuck it. "I've pissed you off? Jackass! You bark orders at me like I'm your flunky, you demand results before I've even started, you swear at me like a sailor, and then have the nerve to tell me I've pissed you off? Screw you, Gibbs!"

His eyes lit up and he said, "Sounds like a plan to me."

"Gibbs, you're crazy."

"No, Beth, I'm not. I've wanted you since the first time I met you and you looked at me like I was something you'd scrape off your shoe. You're a challenge."

"Oh, great. Are we in high school? You only chase the one who runs away?" I rolled my eyes and looked down at our hands. "Please let go of my hands. You're too close and too in my face." The second he let go I was off the couch and backing away.

He ran his hands through his hair angrily and ground out, "There, there's that look again, Beth. Like I'm scum. Goddamn it, woman."

He stood up in one smooth move, fire in his eyes. I squealed like some twerpy schoolgirl and made a run for it down the hall. I wasn't sure where I was going to go, since there was only a linen closet, a bathroom, and my bedroom that way, but I had to get away from him. His eyes said he was going to have me and if he kissed me hard like that again he'd definitely have me. I heard 3 sharp footsteps behind me and then his arms were around my chest and waist and I was caught. He bit the back of my neck lightly, hands working up under my pajama top, hard-on pressed up against my butt.

"Tell me to stop, Beth, and I will. I swear. Tell me you're not attracted to me at all and I'll stop. Tell me you don't want me and I'll leave."

"Dammit, Gibbs -"

"Tell me, Beth, or we both know how this will end."

"Let. Me. Go."

His arms fell away immediately and he stepped back.

"Beth, I -"

I launched myself at him, one hand jerking him closer by his hip and one hand wrapped in his hair, pulling as hard as I could. I jerked his head back and hissed, "You fucking bastard. Bastard! Yes, I want you! I've wanted you since the Malinari case all those months ago, even though you treated me like garbage! You treat all of us like garbage so I shouldn't be surprised!" I pulled his hair again and he took it, arms down at his sides, standing still as a stone. I let go of his hip to slap his face and he took that, too.

"You're an unbelievable son-of-a-bitch and I'm still going to fuck your brains out."

I dragged him by his hair the rest of the way down the hall and flipped on my bedroom light. I walked to the side of the bed and didn't hesitate to strip down. I was fueled by adrenaline and lust and regardless of what happened tomorrow, we were going to do this tonight. I reached up to untie my braids and he was suddenly there, smacking my hands away, saying "Leave them alone." He looked me up and down, the fire coming back to life in his eyes. His cock hadn't gone down at all, even when I slapped him and pulled his hair, and it strained his fly as he inspected me.

"Ya sure about this, Beth?"

I climbed into bed and propped the pillows up behind my head. "You're entirely too dressed, Gibbs. Are you sure about this?"

He toed off his shoes while pulling his shirt over his head, and dropped it on the floor. As I watched him undress I said, "We probably should have had this conversation before the clothes came off. Since I work in the ME's office, we're required to have blood tests every 3 months and I'm squeaky clean. And I can't have babies, so we don't have to sweat that. Now having said all that, condoms or not?"

He grinned at me and said, "We're required to be tested every six months and I'm clean, too."

"Good to know. You didn't answer my question, though. Condoms or not?"

"I want to feel all of you, Elizabeth, your mouth, your pussy, and I'm definitely going to taste you, so no, no barriers. Just me and you and sex and skin."

He dove naked for the bed like a little kid, very un-Gibbs-like. I giggled and braced myself, sure he was going to land right on me. He landed beside me, pulled me to lie across his chest and kissed my face.

"Whoa, what happened to intense sexual guy that was just here? Who are you?" I was pretty sure only a handful of people had seen this side of Gibbs.

"He's still in here; he's biding his time."

"Should I be worried?"

He grinned and kissed me again, rolling us both over so he was on top. Seeing those intense eyes so close was very unnerving. He saw hesitation and doubt flash across my face for a bare instant and then the predator came back out. He raised one of those big working-man's hands and gently turned my face to the side, exposing my neck. He didn't try for gentle, though, when he bit me - it was all sharp teeth and panting. I arched up and tried to get away from the sudden hot pain and he growled deep in his throat. He shook his head to make it hurt more and then let go. Blazing blue eyes met mine and he snarled out, "You're not getting away. Mine. At least for right now you're mine!" I squirmed and tried half-heartedly to get away but I knew it was useless. He bared his teeth again and I screamed “Don’t you dare fucking bite me!� and I’ll be goddamned if he didn’t lunge and try it.

“This is not what I had in mind when you said you were going to taste me, Gibbs!�

He laughed but the predator was still there on the surface, despite the smile. His hard-on was still there, too, and I wasn’t sure exactly how this was going to go.

“Fine. I’ll do this instead â€"“ and Jesus Gawd, he stuffed me full of his cock as mean as he could. I shrieked and he slapped his hand over my mouth.

“Shut up, woman�, he hissed at me, blue eyes narrowed down. “Shut-� thrust “-up-� thrust “-and take all of it. Take it!�

I bit his hand and he snatched it away, only to pull my braids hard enough to make my eyes water. He pulled me further down on his cock and arched up at the same time, and I felt like he was splitting me in half. It was painful and wonderful and hot and I grit my teeth, trying not shriek again and bring the ceiling down.

"Come, damn you! You fucking stubborn woman! Come right now, Beth!" He slammed into me, hard enough to make my teeth clack together and I still wouldn't give in. I slapped his face as hard as I could again and he didn't even miss a stroke. He let go of my hair to dig his nails into my hips and snarled at me again, "Come-" thrust "-right now!"

And I did. I screamed like the Devil himself was fucking me and the world went gray around the edges. "Gibbs, Gibbs", I panted, "Enough, enough, I can't -"

"You damn well will! Again! Come for me again just like that!" And those gorgeous blue eyes locked onto mine and he whispered, "Please."

My vision swam away in a burst of colors as I came again and I was only vaguely aware of thick wetness smeared on and under me as he came inside me, throwing back that silver head and roaring like an animal.

I raised my head up just enough to bite at his throat and he brought that handsome growling face down to mine, kissing me rough enough to make my lips ache.

"No more, woman, you'll kill me."

We rolled apart with a sticky pop, him on his back with his arm thrown over his eyes and me curled up on my side towards him. I burrowed my face into the pillows with a happy "mmmmmmmm" sound and was half-asleep from the afterglow that only really good sex gives you.

Gibbs rolled lazily over to face me and asked, "So, you'll stay?"

"It's my apartment. I'm not going anywhere."

He moved quick as a snake and grabbed my chin to turn my face to his. "Woman, you know what I'm asking. Don't pretend otherwise."

"Jeez, Gibbs, yes, I'll stay the 3 weeks I have left. Happy now?"

He let go of my chin, only to roll over on top of me again and hold me down. Stormy blue eyes met mine and I shuddered at what I saw. This wasn't going to be some "wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am" - this man was serious. "Dammit, Elizabeth, you know what I'm asking. I'm not a fuck-and-run kind of guy and I don't do casual. Christ. You deliberately misunderstood me. No one pisses me off like you do."

He kissed me hard enough I felt teeth on teeth and pressed his knee up in between my legs. "And no one turns me on like you do, Beth. I'll ask one more time - are you staying?"

"Yes, Gibbs, I'll stay. Until we snap and kill each other or fuck each other to death, I'll stay."

~*~*~