Title: Professor DiNardo
Prompt: Cover
Pairing: Tony/Sarah McGee (sort of friendship), Tony/Jeanne
Rating: PG
Cat: Het-Tony/Jeanne
Spoilers: perhaps “Twisted Sister” and some season 4 relating to Tony's undercover mission, also season 2: “Heart Break”
Use of prompt: Tony is under“cover” as Tony DiNardo...
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Professor DiNardo
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“Oh come on, Tony. You've seen where I work!” she mock-whined as they lay on the sofa, her head resting on Tony's chest.
“But, um...” Tony's brain was working overdrive, trying to come up with an excuse which would prevent Jeanne from finding out that he didn't really work at Waverly University as a Film Studies professor. “You wouldn't want to meet my colleagues, they're um...”
“Okay...so you don't like your colleagues,” she laughed, “but I'd really like to see you in action”
Tony seized the opportunity to swiftly change the subject.
“But, Jeanne...” he said suggestively, “You can see me in action right here”
“I mean teaching,” she hit him playfully, “I want to see you teach a class.”
Tony realized that no amount of procrastination or subject changing could make Jeanne drop the subject now that she had decided that she wanted to see him teach.
Tony knew that he would have to call in some major favours to make sure that Jeanne didn't blow his cover. He decided that if this didn't work, he would take it as a sign that it was time to tell Jeanne the truth.
“Okay then,” He sighed in resignation as he continued. “Meet me tomorrow morning at the main entrance, I have a class at 9am. I'll give you the guided tour myself.”
Jeanne smiled.
------
Tony had spent all night negotiating with various Waverly faculty members, taking notes on films from his own knowledge in order to draught a possible lesson plan and calling in favours with a group of Film Studies students he had once met at a Movie convention. He had caught them drinking underage, but after showing his badge (but not revealing that his jurisdiction was strictly Navy and Marines), he had agreed not to report them, under the condition that they owed him one.
It was gone 10pm and Tony was beginning to get worried. He had called the director and explained the situation and she had agreed to negotiate with the staff at Waverly to see if they could get the Film Studies department to cooperate with part of an NCIS undercover operation.
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The phone rang and Tony woke with a start. He had fallen asleep by the phone waiting from confirmation from the Director that everything was settled for tomorrow.
“DiNozzo.” he answered, curbing a yawn.
“DiNozzo, it's me.” Jen's also tired voice rang through the receiver, “It's all settled, you'll be taking over Professor Grey's 9am class and the staff have agreed to act like they know you. The students you met at the convention have also agreed to behave as if they are familiar with you although, seeing as there will be many in your class who are not in on the operation, I advise that you tell Miss Benoit that this is not one of your regular classes. So as to avoid suspicion.
“Thank you,” Tony sighed in relief, “You really are a life saver Director.”
“Thank you Agent DiNozzo.” The Director sighed and took on a less formal tone. “Tony, was this completely necessary?”
“I didn't ask for her to want to see me work!” Tony said indignantly.
“I know that Tony, but don't you think you're getting a bit close to her? It could jeopardize the op-” she said, her voice full of concern.
“I'm just good at undercover work Director, that's all” Tony cut in.
He knew that, as much as he had wanted to stay detached from this operation, His time with Jeanne had made him grow up and Jeanne had come to embody his newfound longing for something more than a meaningless fling.
He knew he was falling in love, but he also knew, with a twinge of guilt at his deception, that it was the notion of love that he was falling for, and not Jeanne herself.
“Okay...” Jen said, knowing that Tony was not telling her the whole truth, but deciding to let it go for now. She knew that he would tell her in his own time if it was anything of significant importance to the operation.
They talked for a bit longer, going over the details and plans for the following day until they both realized what time it was and hung up.
Tony set down the receiver and sighed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.
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Tony's nerves were causing his stomach to churn incessantly as he waited outside the main entrance to Waverly University at 8:45am the next morning.
He hoped he didn't look too out of place as a Professor, he had opted for a semi-casual look: jeans with a shirt and suit jacket. He was going over and over his lesson plan in his head, hoping that it would seem like a convincing performance.
He jumped and gasped sharply as he felt a finger tap gently on his shoulder. Turning round he saw Jeanne and plastered an eloquent smile on his face.
“Hey, Jeanne.” he said, kissing her on the cheek.
“Tony, are you alright? You seem nervous.” Jeanne said, placing an affectionate hand on his cheek.
“I'm fine, it's just that I've never taken this class before. I'm covering it temporarily for Professor Grey. Apparently they are a tough crowd.” he lied convincingly as her hand withdrew gently from his cheek and he draped an arm over her shoulder. “But we've got that grand tour to look forward to after class.”
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They walked through the doors and made their way down the hallway, as per the directions he had been given the night before.
Suddenly a girl came bouncing up to them. “Hey, Agent DiN-”
“Sarah!” he smiled as he quickly cut her off.
He grabbed her firmly, but gently, by the elbow as he turned to Jeanne and said, “I'll just be a sec.”
He directed her away from Jeanne and when they were out of earshot (for which they didn't have to go far, considering the noise of the other students) Tony stopped and faced Sarah.
“Agent DiNozzo, what's going on?” Sarah asked, glancing towards Jeanne, confused.
“For today, I'm Professor DiNardo,” he said. “I'm undercover, she doesn't know.” he subtly gestured his head towards Jeanne.
“Oh right!” Sarah responded, “I'm so sorry! I hope I didn't blow your cover.”
“Don't worry, I don't think you did.”
She breathed a short sigh of relief.
“Is there anything I could do to help?” Sarah asked, still worrying that she may have jeopardised an NCIS undercover op.
“You don't have a class right now?”
“No.”
“Well, in that case, I think there is something you could do.” Tony said, thinking fast. “Do you think you could head quickly to Professor Grey's 9am Film Studies class and warn them that they have to act like they know who I am? Tell them that Jeanne's a school inspector or something.”
“Sure. Good luck.” Sarah said, heading briskly towards the class.
Tony turned back to Jeanne and found that she had been reading the wall displays as she waited for Tony and Sarah to finish talking.
“Hey.” Tony said as she turned round.
“Hey.” she smiled as they continued their walking towards the classroom. “Who was that?” she enquired.
“One of my students. She had a few questions about her term paper.”
“Why did she call you Agent?” Jeanne asked curiously.
“It's a silly student thing. They think I watch too many action films so, instead of referring to me as Professor DiNardo, as they should, they call me Agent DiNardo.”
Jeanne laughed. “Well you do watch a lot of them...”
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They arrived at the class and as they walked into the room Sarah gave Tony a subtle thumbs-up from the seat she had taken near the back of the class.
Tony smiled in reply. Directing Jeanne towards an empty seat at the front of the class , he took his position in front of the sea of students, who were all staring curiously at Jeanne. There was a low hum of muttering in the room.
Tony took advantage of their momentary distraction to scan the faces for anyone he recognised that could possibly ruin his cover.
There were several students that had, at some time or another, come into contact with NCIS. A couple of boys that he and Paula had once had to baby-sit in a hotel room after they were found using the credit card that had been given to them by Ensign Hayes and a few that he recognised from his last visit to Waverly, when Sarah was suspected of murder.
Suddenly Tony panicked, one of the students he had seen during the investigation into the murder of Seaman Jeff Petty seemed to recognise him and was looking right at him, the strained expression on his face suggesting that he was trying to figure out how he knew Tony.
“Hey Agent DiN-” The student started as the recognition hit him, before he was hit sharply in the back of the head with a well aimed ball of paper that seemed to have been issued from somewhere towards the back of the room.
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Author's Notes: I hope I haven't written Sarah too out of character. I haven't written her before. Also, I know this was written for the Tony/Sarah pairing and she isn't in it much...i hope it worked though.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.